Between The Lines
by FireKali Chaos
Summary: [TyKa. Complete] Kai and Tyson's relationship has always been there for anyone to see…or so it seems. But what if one could read between the lines? What more would one find?
1. Part I

**Kali Notes:** This fic spans season 01, V-Force, and the first half of G-Rev ('cause I still haven't seen the second half yet) of the anime and incorporates elements of the manga as far as I've read (which is up to vol. 11 in English). It's also told mostly from Kai's POV in the 3rd person, because I find that I understand Kai better than Tyson as characters and I write Kai better than Tyson. You'll notice some of the scenes I put in are from the anime, but some are also just from me.

Since I needed a break from my WIPs, and just because I felt like it, I bring readers a little sumthin' sumthin' to relieve the tedium and never-ending blahs of winter and classes and work and life in general. Hope this brightens someone's day…

**Warnings:** Yaoi (shonen ai, on ffnet), adult language and situations; don't read it if you can't take the heat!

**Disclaimer:** Kali and muses do not own Beyblade or its characters. We make no money from writing this fic – how unfortunate. Neither do we own the parts in this fic taken from the English dub of the anime.

**Pairings:** TyKa!

**Summary:** Kai and Tyson's relationship has always been there for anyone to see…or so it seems. But what if one could read between the lines? What more would one find?

**Dedication:** To all TyKa fans everywhere, especially those hardworking writers, artists, and AMV-techs who continue to support the fandom even though everyone seems to have disappeared… O.o

– and – to TechnoRanma, Feelin Glayish, and Flamable Devil (Crazy Jen) in celebration of Tyson's Birthday – and because it's around the anniversary of the time we first 'met'…

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**BETWEEN THE LINES  
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**Part I

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Looking back on it, there were so many obvious signs that blared "love!" to anyone who cared to notice. It was odd, however, that the two people in question had not noticed those signs at all. And when they did, it was almost a complete surprise to them both.

It began at a time when the innocence of childhood was beginning to wear off in those tumultuous teenaged years. Whether they liked it or not, the Bladebreakers had been thrust into a situation that forced them to see that the world was not always a nice, safe place, and that there were people who were ambitious and greedy enough to want to use a sport – something that is meant to bring people together in the spirit of sportsmanship and fair play – to try and dominate the world. And it had been up to them to stop it, because they had proven they were the best – always with room for improvement, but the best for the task before them nonetheless.

Things had been rocky from the start. While their team had been pieced together out of bladers that were as different as the elements they each were only just beginning to master, there was a cohesion among four of the five teammates. Friends from the start, once the initial rivalries had been smoothed out and respect earned by each, for each. They were only teenagers, between thirteen and fourteen years of age (except for the Chief, who was a very young eleven years old at that fateful tournament in Bay City that formed the Bladebreakers), but it couldn't be held against them. They came from different walks of life, different family situations, different nationalities even. But there had been one, a lone blader, a silent yet commanding soul who deliberately kept himself separate from the others. He had only just met these teens he suddenly found himself responsible for, being made captain of the team in order to guide and lead them into victory at the World Championships – a title that he had intended to keep for himself, and not to share with others, initially.

The group, oddly mismatched though they were, slowly began to worm their way into the lone blader's…well, not affection, per se. Somewhere along the way, they had become his to protect. His to lead. The most important people to him in the way of a leader toward his followers. He would never have admitted to calling them _friends_. Hiwatari Kai did not _have_ friends. He came to admire Mizuhara Max's talent and sense of sportsmanship. He already had respected Kon Rei for his power and reputation as a blader, but now also reluctantly admired his loyalty, too. And the Chief…well, he respected his knowledge of all things Beyblade, even if the kid couldn't actually _blade_ all that well himself. Then there was Kinomiya Tyson. The one who had been the first to defeat him, the first to stand up to him without fear or any idea what sort of power he was dealing with. The one who had slapped him with the reality that there were other bladers out there worthy of battling, worthy of his time and effort, but most of all worthy of his respect.

Once he'd had has title ripped out from under him in that first official tournament and forced to realize responsibilities he'd never wanted, Kai set out to make defeating Tyson his life's work. Somehow, some way, he would do it. And it would be done just as it had been taken away from him: in an official tournament, with official rules and in a fair contest. He'd be patient…there would be an opportunity, someday. And when it came, he would seize it, no matter what.

Tyson was an enigma to Kai, however. The others Kai understood – their character, their attitudes, their foibles. But Tyson…he didn't understand Tyson at all. This kid who literally came out of nowhere had defeated him, a champion blader, was not after power, not like the past challengers that had come up against Kai before. He wasn't after fame and fortune – not that he minded much when it descended on him after his name became a known one to the Beyblading world. And Tyson always seemed to fight for concepts that Kai had lost all belief in when he'd been very young, concepts that couldn't possibly exist in reality – not as Kai had seen it, at least. Friendship? Fun? Love of the game? Sportsmanship and fair-play? These were alien notions to Kai. Yet every time Tyson bladed, Kai saw the evidence of the growing strength and raw talent that combined in Tyson and his every battle, even when he lost a match – and it _did_ happen. But Tyson took it as a learning experience and always bounced right back with a vengeance. Defeat did not exist in Tyson's vocabulary – in an entirely different way than Kai's.

Kai didn't even notice when Tyson had shifted from merely a rival to be defeated at all costs to a teammate he was responsible for. Suddenly Kai found himself chasing after the bluenette and dragging him out of the trouble and near-disasters he was always getting himself into, saving him from the scrapes he always managed to somehow get into – usually pulling the other three down with him, because none of them could seem to see the potential dangers of these situations like Kai could. It drove him nuts. They'd won two championships and were traveling through Europe on the way to the final tournament when they'd come across some rather creepy bladers – the Dark Bladers – and one after another they fought and defeated the best of Europe. But the first time Tyson had met his opponent, Robert, he'd suffered a huge defeat. It had nearly destroyed his spirit to lose that battle. It was Kai who had brought him back to himself, Kai who told him to get up off his hands and knees and learn from the loss to prepare for the next time he met Robert. When had it happened that the great Hiwatari Kai had started giving pep talks and motivating his team? He was never able to say for sure.

And then it had been a shift from teammate to friend. But this time he'd had to confront his own past, and more, he'd had to betray his team to learn the hard way about friendship. He considered himself the luckiest person in the world that it had been Tyson who had taught him one of the most important lessons he'd ever learn.

As he'd promised himself, Kai had seen an opportunity to seize incredible power, and with it, the chance to blade against Tyson again in _the_ most important match in the Beyblade circuit and World Championship. He'd been defeated in a local, national tournament, but he'd take Tyson down in a world-class, international battle for all the world to see that _he_, not this nobody, was truly the World Champion of Beyblading. Of course, to do it, he had to betray the team and join up with the very people they'd come to Russia to defeat and stop a man's bid for world domination of a different sort – the kind of power that no one should ever have. To make matters worse, that man was Kai's own blood, his grandfather. In a way, Kai had felt he needed to do this for his family honour, which had been besmirched by his loss to Tyson. This was the one way he could earn it back – or so he'd been led to believe.

Tyson would show him differently. Tyson would once again stand up to him without fear and with a fervent desire to bring Kai back into the light from the darkness that was rapidly surrounding him. He didn't know or understand what Tyson saw in him that was so worth the effort or worth saving, but in a moment of clarity, standing on a thick piece of ice that would capsize at any moment and drop in icy-cold waters that even he could not survive long, Tyson had reached out a hand to Kai, and the crimson-eyed teen had seen all his mistakes, all the things that he was going to need forgiveness for – once he'd earned back the trust his teammates (especially Tyson) had had in him – and Kai had shed tears he hadn't known he possessed as he desperately reached out toward the light and felt that solid connection with another human being that had been lacking in his life for as long as his memory reached back.

"_Kai!_ _Forget everything! Just grab my digits, dude!" Tyson desperately tried to snap the phoenix out of his daze._

"_Hurry!" Kenny cried urgently._

"_You really want to save me? All the lousy things I've done…said to you?" Kai just couldn't believe it, not after everything._

"_We'll talk later! Now shut up and grab!" Only Tyson would have the guts to order Kai around – even though Kai was still too stunned to notice it._

"_He…he's not going to do it!" For once in his life, Rei didn't know what to do._

"_Sure he is! He finally gets that we're a team!" Max followed Tyson's example, and refused to give up._

"_No matter what you think, we've always been there for you." Kenny added._

"_Even though you are a high-fidelity grump." Tyson griped, trying to reach out just a little farther. "KAI! Take my hand!"_

"_I…I don't know. I don't know if I can change…" Kai looked down at the rising, frigid waters of Lake Baikal that were now at his knees. He was sinking fast._

"_Come on!" Tyson refused to let him do this._

"_Reach out, Kai!" Rei shouted._

"_Do it now!" Kenny begged._

"_Come on, Kai!" Max yelled._

"_Argh! I won't let a teammate down…or drown, as it were." Tears of frustration and fear escaped as Tyson made one last pleading attempt to get Kai to take his hand._

"_Hey, guys, I'm…I'm so sorry…" Kai's eyes were wide with guilt, and like the bluenette offering him…everything, tears were falling unheeded as he desperately reached out and grabbed onto Tyson's hand._

It had taken a bit of muscle, and the efforts of all his teammates to free him from that ice, but they'd done it. They collapsed on the ground in a heap, exhausted; Kai had landed partly on top of Tyson, and for one brief moment, he'd let himself sink into the welcoming warmth and safety Tyson was offering him. He'd thought he'd heard Tyson whisper his name, but it could have been the wind. He'd gotten up, and turned away with a fierce determination that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Tyson had called him back, but he accepted that Kai was going to go set things right again. Kai had a lot of work to do in order to mend the wrongs he'd committed. He'd start with the Abbey, and with Boris – returning the dark blade and its Black Dranzer bit to the place it had been developed. Then he returned to his team – his real team.

Kai was welcomed back with open arms. Kenny, Max, and Rei, along with Tyson, had thrown a welcome back party for him at their hotel in Moscow that same evening. In the middle of the party, when Tyson was excitedly chatting with his father and Gramps about all his adventures so far, and while Mr. Dickenson looked on fondly, Kai had retreated to the balcony for a bit of fresh air and to try and wrap his head around these strange new emotions and how good it felt to have a place among these people, to be forgiven and accepted so willingly. It was Rei who had joined him out there in the chilly Russian air.

"_So Kai…" The raven haired teen leaned forward against the railing, staring out at the skyline of the city. "How're you feeling?"_

_Kai glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "Fine." He shrugged. "It's not like I was ill or something."_

_Rei laughed. "No. Though, that was the excuse that Tala and Ian kept trying to feed us when we came looking for you. Tyson didn't believe it for a minute, you know. He was sure there was something suspicious going on, and he was really worried about you."_

"_Hn…" Kai looked away guiltily, feigning indifference as best he could. "Stupid. I was fine."_

_Now Rei turned and watched Kai with a raised eyebrow. "Oh really? Well, whether or not you were, the fact is that Tyson stood out on this very balcony, worrying about you. He didn't understand why you would just turn on us like you did, and he shed tears for you. I hope you can appreciate just how far he was willing to go to get you back. His loyalty is something I've come to admire and respect in him. And his courage, his power, and his skill. But mostly he's my friend. Just as the rest of the team is – including you, Kai. We don't always get along, it's true, but you and I often understand each other where the others don't."_

"_Your point?" Kai finally turned and met Rei's critical gaze, wondering if he should be angry or apologize for some reason._

"_I know why you left. You wanted the chance to go after Tyson, and get revenge for your loss in the Regionals. But Kai…I hope that now you see the difference between a crushing defeat and simply a bump in the road. No matter how good you are, there will always be someone who comes along to be better than you. It's just the way things work."_

"_So what? You think I should just give up trying? Because I won't do that." Kai snapped._

"_No. I'm just saying to remember that's only a game – a sport. We're on our way to winning the Worlds, Kai. As a team, yes, but each of us is capable of battling as a pro on our own, too. We just happen to compliment each other perfectly, forming an unbeatable team of bladers. And isn't that what we're truly here for? We have to stop Boris and his little plans for world domination. We're fighting for the game, for every blader in the world, and for our bit beasts. There isn't anything more worthy than that, is there?"_

_With that parting shot, Rei walked back to the balcony doors. "Oh, and Kai?"_

"_What?"_

_Rei smiled. "We're glad you're back. Tyson's a lot easier to deal with when you're around, for some reason."_

_Kai blinked at the door, not sure what that could possibly mean._

The Worlds had proven to be more of a challenge than they'd all thought. They'd known the Demolition Boys were no push-overs, but their scientifically altered bit beasts were another thing entirely. And with Max out of the competition because of their sneaky little attack on their BBA bus the day before, it was even harder. Kai took on the first round, against Spencer and Seaborg. The first session didn't go well. Kai found out the hard way that these enhanced bit beasts were nothing to sniff at. Feeling the sting of possible defeat, he'd retreated to the back halls of the stadium to think during the break, and there he was confronted by his grandfather, Hiwatari Voltaire.

Once again, temptation was offered to him. All he had to do was take Black Dranzer back and defeat Spencer with it, because according to Voltaire, Kai was the only one who was strong enough to control the power of the enhanced bit beast. And when he had defeated Spencer, he'd have proven he was still reliable and useful to his grandfather. Then he was to take his teammates' bit beasts and turn them over to Boris as he'd been supposed to before. But Kai would not be fooled a second time. He knew where he belonged, and it wasn't at Biovolt.

He took Black Dranzer, but in the end, he didn't use it. He and Dranzer fought their battle as Bladebreakers, and lost the match – Kai sacrificed Dranzer – in order to make their point of defiance to Voltaire. It worked. He was enraged. Kai didn't care about that anymore. He'd come to accept that the grandfather he'd once admired, respected, and loved was no longer Voltaire.

He wouldn't be controlled. Not ever.

The next day it was Rei's turn, battling Bryan and Falborg. And Kai saw once again the results of the friendship that developed between his teammates and between their team and their rival teams from the past – the White Tigers, the All-Starz, and the Majestics. Rei fought like the warrior he was, and while the result of the final round was a win for Rei, he took out Bryan in the process, knocking him out and destroying his blade – at great cost. His battles landed him in the hospital, and he insisted it was worth it to even the score with the Demolition Boys.

Those battles were bad enough. But now it was down to the third and final battle – Tyson's battle against the Demolition Boys' team captain, Tala.

While Rei was recovering in the hospital, Max and Kenny were off conspiring to improve Tyson's blade with the help of the technology of the All Starz and Max's mother and father. Tyson was in need of practice and training, and it was to Kai that he turned seeking assistance.

They found a secluded, quiet patch of forest and set to the task of beating the hell out of each other – figuratively, of course. They were doing their best to drive each other to the absolute end of their abilities, and in the process growing stronger and improving their skills. It had personally shocked Kai that he was enjoying every single second of the time he was spending with Tyson, battling him, growing stronger even without Dranzer. But for the first time, it wasn't about the beybattle, it wasn't about being the best – or at least helping to make Tyson the best to save the sport – or any such thing that once were his motivations in life. No…this time with Tyson was simply fun.

Which was probably the reason he gave Tyson that absolutely corny piece of advice that as long as he was having fun then no one could truly beat him. Tyson had groaned and laughed, jokingly saying he liked Kai better as a jerk than as a corny Kai. The team captain just smirked and told him to get back to work.

The morning brought the fateful day of Tyson's battle upon them. But they were as ready as they'd ever be. Armed with a new and improved Dragoon blade, Tyson took his place across the beydish from Tala with an aura of supreme determination. Kai had never been proud of another person as he was of the bluenette in that moment. It was a very odd and slightly unsettling emotion, one that he was definitely not used to.

The battle of the first session was not going well. Tala ruled the snowy, Russian-esque landscape of the beydish like he'd lived there all his life – which he had, of course. They were fighting in a Biovolt stadium, after all. But while the others were questioning the wisdom of letting Tyson continue, Kai was waiting, knowing and hoping beyond all hope that Tyson would pull something off.

"_Come on…" Kai thought, watching Tyson try to keep up to Tala's vicious attacks. "I'm not wrong about much, and I know I'm not wrong about you…" _

And he wasn't wrong. Tyson did. He won that first session, but in the second, Tala provoked Tyson into challenging the redhead to use his full power on Tyson. All part of Tala's plan… It ended with the two bladers trapped in the strangest thing anyone had ever seen. Locked inside a giant ice crystal, a blizzard whipping snow and wind all around them. And inside that ice, Tala unleashed his army of stolen bit beasts on Tyson. The second session ended with a win for Tala. But on the outside, Kai wasn't giving up on Tyson yet. Of any other blader, Kai was the one who could claim – with reason – that he knew Tyson's skills and power better than anyone else. Hadn't he been on the receiving end of it enough times? Hadn't he trained Tyson himself? And didn't Tyson own a piece of his own soul now that he had given Kai back **_everything_**, including control of his own life?

Kai watched the third session awestruck. He believed it was happening, and yet he didn't. Amazing didn't cover it.

When it was all over, and Tyson was declared the winner, his honour showed through as he extended a hand of friendship and sportsmanship to Tala – and was accepted. It never ceased to amaze Kai how the bluenette was able to do that.

Now it was all over. The Championships were done, Biovolt defeated and its deeds brought to light. The sport, its athletes, and the bit beasts were all safe once more. All that was left was for the team to say their farewells and go their separate ways again.

Max returned to America with his mother, to help her continue her research at the BBA labs.

Rei went home with his old team, the White Tigers. He wanted to help teach a new generation of bladers how to play the game, and all it entailed.

Kenny and Tyson were going to return home with Gramps. They had school to go back to, after all, and their normal teenaged lives outside of the Bey-spotlight. There would be more tournaments, they knew, but for now, it was back to normalcy.

As for Kai…he had his own decisions to make. No longer following his grandfather left him with few options. The one viable one seemed to be to go back home to his parents and go back to school. This whole experience and reawakened memories of his time at Biovolt as a child led him to retire his blade. His desire to battle Tyson again had cooled – for now, at least. He couldn't see himself taking on the dragon, not if it meant a battle like the one Tyson had fought with Tala. Kai knew he was no where near prepared to get into that level of competition. So…he'd put blading aside and see if he could find something else to hold his interest and to develop his skills in.

The night before Tyson's plane was leaving, Kai was once again out on that same balcony. Tyson left Kenny curled up on the sofa in the hotel room, sleeping, and quietly went out to join the phoenix.

"_Hey." Tyson gave an easy smile and stood next to Kai at the railing. "Still awake?"_

"_Hn." Kai acknowledged, glancing back into the room through the window doors of the balcony. "Kenny's out?"_

"_Yep. All this excitement has finally caught up to him." Tyson grinned. "And I'm still really pumped up, oddly enough."_

_Kai's mouth turned up in a slight smile. "Gee, wonder why, World Champ."_

"_Heh." Tyson mimicked Kai's stance, leaning against the railing elbow to elbow with the slightly taller teen, their arms resting against each other. Kai, strangely, didn't have the urge to move away. He normally hated being touched. Any kind of physical contact with other human beings tended to make his skin crawl. Not with Tyson though. And when Tyson nudged him gently with that elbow and pointed down at the street below where a group of kids were blading, Kai felt nothing more than a weird wish for more contact. He smiled, though, at the sight of the kids blading freely in the street._

"_You did good." Kai suddenly said, feeling he had to say something. Tyson looked at him in astonishment._

"_Was that a compliment? From Hiwatari Kai? Oh my god."_

"_Shut up, Kinomiya. You'll never hear it again."_

"_Nah." Tyson blushed suddenly. "You really think I did something good?"_

"_I don't think. I know." Kai watched the kids cheer and nodded at them. "Those kids, if you hadn't won, would not be down there right now, having fun. Beyblading. That's the proof of what you've accomplished."_

_Tyson blushed harder and turned away, though he leaned backward against the railing now. "Well…yeah. I guess you have a point, there. But…" he paused and pulled Dragoon out of his pocket. "As much as I like being the World Champion and all…it's so surreal, you know? All of it."_

_Kai turned to him and studied him. "Maybe. What happened during your match was more than weird. I've never seen anything like it before. And you didn't let it phase you. You kept on battling anyway. You should have heard everyone cheering you on, Kinomiya. You are a hero to a lot of people."_

_Tyson stared at him. "A hero? That's…kind of intimidating."_

"_Hn." Kai couldn't imagine that feeling himself, but if Tyson said so… "It's the truth, though."_

_Silence descended on them for a time while soft flakes of snow began to drift slowly down to the Earth below. Tyson broke the quiet moment with a soft inquiry._

"_So what were you planning to do now? In all the stuff going on earlier with Max and Rei leaving first and the celebrations and all that stuff, I never had a chance to talk to you and find out."_

_Kai stared up at the grey skies, closing his eyes against the falling snowflakes. "I'll go back to my parents. Grandfather wouldn't let me see them, and he would never tell me why. I have ideas about it now, but I want to hear what they have to say and…I'd like a normal life, if that's at all possible."_

"_I'm sure there's an explanation. And Kai, you know if you ever need to, you can come to me. Right?"_

_Yeah. Kai nodded solemnly. Don't ask me why, but I trust you, Kinomiya. And I appreciate the thought, even if…I'm not ready to say it yet._

"_Good." Tyson reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the doors. "Let's go in before we become snowmen."_

_Kai smiled to himself, savoring the hand in his and following Tyson willingly into the warmth of the hotel room and out of the cold Russian weather. He stared at the smaller, darker skinned hand in his – the hand that defeated him, the hand that had taught him, saved him, and finally the hand that guided his new chance at life. He felt like he would do anything for the owner of that hand. Anything at all. He wished he had the courage to tell Tyson that, but for now, his voice was quieted by his insecurities. One day. He vowed. One day I'll be able to tell you 'Thank You,' Kinomiya. He watched Tyson settle down on his bed under the covers and turned off the light to do the same himself._

_They'd leave this place behind in the morning, and Kai was only too happy to say goodbye to it._

**

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Kali Notes: There you have it. Part I is done. In case you hadn't noticed, this initial part was only taking into account season 01. Hence…there will be more. At least two more parts to come. I hope I've eased the mundane for you! ****Please R/R!!!!**


	2. Part II

**Kali Notes:** Since I'm getting into this (Dryad: Kali's been in classes too long…) and I'm finding it interesting to try and find all the little hints, blatant or otherwise, of TyKa, I bring you all part II. Who knew V-Force had so many hints and so many events to look at? O.o

**Warnings:** Yaoi (shonen ai, on ffnet), adult language and situations; don't read it if you can't take the heat!

**Disclaimer:** Kali and muses do not own Beyblade or its characters. We make no money from writing this fic – how unfortunate. Neither do we own the parts in this fic taken from the English dub of the anime.

**Dedication:** To all TyKa fans everywhere, especially those hardworking writers, artists, and AMV-techs who continue to support the fandom even though everyone seems to have disappeared… O.o

– and – to TechnoRanma, Feelin Glayish, and Flamable Devil (Crazy Jen) in celebration of Tyson's Birthday – and because it's around the anniversary of the time we first 'met'…

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**BETWEEN THE LINES

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**Part II**

Fame has its consequences. Despite the fact that Kai had retired from Beyblading after the Worlds, it seemed that there just wasn't a good enough reason for everyone else. Strange things started happening, a mysterious blader popping up out of nowhere to challenge him… Things that always annoyed Kai to no end. Especially when it involved innocent bystanders – at least that's what Kai considered Wyatt Smyth-Wright, a classmate of his who was more than a tad obsessed with Kai. It wasn't his fault the kid was too obsessed to understand that Kai wasn't interested, and that taking on Kai's battles for him was just not helping the situation. But a conversation he'd had with Wyatt had brought back some of the things that Kai had thought he'd put aside in retiring, including his desire to battle Tyson again.

_"I don't mean to be a pest…but is it true that you retired because there's nobody out there good enough to fight against?" Wyatt asked, still gawking at Kai's blade through the glass of the display case. "At least, that's what I heard…"_

_"Listen, I hear a new rumour every day." Kai retorted, frowning._

_"But there's one name that keeps coming up. Who you'd like to take on… You know…Tyson! Your buddy from the Bladebreakers?"_

_"Yeah, I guess I would like face Tyson one last time. That battle would be…interesting." Kai agreed, thinking about it as he turned and slowly walked toward a small practice dish._

_"Huh?" Wyatt turned. He'd never heard **that** tone from Kai – a sort of soft, affectionate tone laced with a hint of excitement._

_"Now that would be a real fight. But it would never happen." Kai said, almost to himself, and stopped at the small beydish and stared at the picture on the wall._

Unfortunately, the new guy, Dunga, had come along. And it looked like Kai had finally found a reason to come back to the blading world. A worthy opponent, who was not Tyson, and therefore someone he wouldn't feel guilty about fighting and defeating. _That_ was the true reason that he'd retired, something he hadn't told _anyone_. He felt _that_ guilty about what he'd done to Tyson and the rest of the team in order to get revenge for his initial defeat, that he decided to retire in order to never be tempted to go against Tyson ever again, to never betray him ever again.

Then Wyatt had taken Kai's launcher and blade – and Dranzer – and gone to meet Dunga himself, since Kai had refused to. When Kai found out, he immediately went after the kid, cursing him for being so stupid – and cursing himself for not knowing that it would happen. He'd found them on the roof, just as the battle was about to be engaged. To teach Wyatt a lesson, and to find out whether Dunga was worth any of Kai's time, the crimson-eyed teen stood back and let Wyatt try his hand at blading. Kai ended up having to save Wyatt from flying off the side of the building, and taking over the battle.

Dunga was worth more than Kai's time. He was worth watching out for – and battling again.

Kai hadn't wanted to go back to the Beyblading world unless someone came along who was enough of a challenge and was _not_ Tyson, and now he'd found someone. The moment he held Dranzer in his hand again, the moment he launched his blade and once more felt the incredible force that his phoenix spirit possessed…he was back. Hiwatari Kai returned to the blading world.

As soon as he could, he gathered his belongings from the dorms at school, changed from his school uniform into something that reflected not only his sense of fashion (which earned a few strange looks from his peers who were not aware of his blading fame), but his ability and his strength. And without saying a word to anyone else – not his teachers, not his peers, and not even Wyatt – Kai turned his back on the private school and headed for Bey City. He had teammates to track down and find out if they had been confronted as he had by any strange new bladers.

He wouldn't admit it, but he was more than a little curious about how Tyson was doing and how much his skills had improved – or gone down the drain, which was always a possibility.

Kai was walking through the park, one that he remembered quite clearly from his past adventures in Tyson's neighbourhood. He hadn't been expecting to come across a beybattle, and certainly not one involving Tyson himself – with Kenny and some girl watching and looking decidedly worried. The dual-haired teen held back, not letting his presence be known yet, and observed from a slight distance.

_"No! Dragoon can't lose this!" Tyson could not believe this was happening to him._

_"He won't." Kai spoke up, finally making his presence known. Tyson, Kenny, and the new girl Kai didn't know, looked up at him. The Chief and Tyson were shocked to see him – and at the same time, vastly relieved. "It's time for Dragoon to go on the attack."_

_Tyson stared at him for a moment, then nodded, turning back to the battle. He did exactly what Kai said and attacked, releasing Dragoon and going after the other blade with all his might._

_Kai watched. Tyson can win this if he can control the power of Dragoon. He thought. Come on, Tyson. You can do this!_

_A few moments later, Dragoon unleashed a devastating attack, destroying the other kid's blade, and winning the battle._

After the strange kid disappeared, the four friends made their way to the lookout, where the Chief and his computer gave the results of their analysis of Tyson's battle. A magnetic core? This was new. Kai ignored the spat that erupted between his old teammate and the girl, Hilary.

Of course, Tyson and Hilary were even more argumentative than Kai and Tyson were – and that was saying something.

Kai leaned against the railing some distance away, staring out at the sea. It appeared that he wasn't the only one getting attacked at random by strange bladers, and with new technologically advanced blades. Maybe it was a good idea to come out of retirement after all.

He followed the other three teens as they made their way home on the path alongside the river. Then suddenly they stopped, and Kai found himself being introduced – formally – to the new girl. He wasn't particularly interested in her, though she seemed nice enough. He merely walked right on by, not saying a word nor acknowledging her greeting – typical Kai response. Tyson snickered and Kenny told her not to worry about it, since that's how Kai always was.

Suddenly Tyson was at his side, bubbling over with enthusiasm, and saying something about Kai needing a place to stay while in town so hey! Stay at the dojo with Tyson! Kai blinked, and tried pulling loose from the bluenette's insistent grip, but in the end allowed him to quite literally pull Kai along to his home, chattering the entire way.

Despite how he acted outwardly, inwardly he was relieved that Tyson had no qualms about opening his home to Kai, and neither was he _that_ upset about Tyson's treatment of him. Of course, he had a reputation to maintain, so he pretended to be put out with the bluenette – though he had a feeling Tyson saw right through it, as he always did.

The next morning he went down to the beach – early – to get in some practice. If he was going to be fighting bladers that were as tough as Dunga, and with advanced Beyblade technology like the kid Tyson faced yesterday, then he was going to need to get back into shape.

The others found him several hours later, no doubt due to the fact that Tyson had been snoring loudly when Kai had left and he knew from experience how hard it was to wake the bluenette up in the morning. Kai related his run-in with Dunga, and Kenny confirmed that it was not just him, it was all the Bladebreakers having similar battles. He had no idea what was going on yet, though.

Then Kenny inadvertently made the mistake of suggesting Kai had lost his battle with Dunga. When Kai corrected him – it was a tie, damn it! – Tyson laughed and told him to chill out. Even the best, he said, sometimes lost. Of course Kai couldn't keep his mouth shut and said something about how Tyson didn't still think he was the best, did he? After that it was all down hill. Their first argument since Kai returned.

It felt really good to have it out with Tyson again. And it made him feel even better after Tyson's closing argument, even if Kai himself had no such intentions of reforming the team – not yet, at least.

_"Look, fighting like this is getting us nowhere. The important thing is you're here now. We were a team before, and we can be a team once again. Working together, Kai! That's how we'll beat those invisible bit-beasts." Tyson smiled._

_Kai shook his head in the negative. "I know we were a team once, but once was enough for me." He replied, walking away and leaving a frowning Tyson and an upset Kenny behind – with a suspicious Hilary looking on._

He'd soon change his mind. Kai stopped by the BBA headquarters to see Mr. Dickenson, only to come across Tyson arguing with Mr. Dickenson about the Bladebreakers being split up and not fighting as a team anymore – not without Kai. Tyson made one of his ridiculously over-confident statements about how he'd take on the entirety of Team Psykick himself, with Kenny and Hilary protesting that he couldn't take on a whole team alone, and it was at this point that Kai stepped in.

He spoke before he even realized just what he was committing himself to – again. A team. The Bladebreakers were back…or would be as soon as Max and Rei could be found and brought back to Japan.

Tyson was ecstatic. And the training began.

* * *

Their first order of business was to deal with Team Psykick. Thanks to Max's mom, they had the technology to combat the technology of the Psykicks. But before they could deal with them, the Bladebreakers were going to have to master that technology, starting from scratch.

Unfortunately, they wouldn't even make it to the scheduled battle. They'd be kidnapped instead, and taken to some weird island where they would be forced to battle in order to leave.

Fighting their way out of life-or-death battles was beginning to grate on Kai's nerves.

Was it his imagination, or was Tyson a little bit jealous when they split up (Kenny and Hilary going with Kai to check out the lighthouse they spotted in the distance)? He hadn't been very happy about Kai declaring he was going with the two brunettes for 'protection.' But in the end, he didn't say anything more about it, going off with Max and Rei in a huff – limping.

They each had their own battles to fight. Max's had gone well enough. Rei managed to figure out his own, too, coming out victorious. As for Kai, he held back, deliberately allowing Kenny the time he needed to hack the island's security and create havoc for their adversaries. They managed to send out a distress call, hoping it would reach Mr. Dickenson somehow and they'd be rescued. Then he unleashed Dranzer on his opponent and squashed him like a bug.

After running around a while longer, they finally found their teammates, and the last of their opponents.

The final battle was Tyson's – as those sort usually were. He absolutely insisted on it, despite the injury to his leg that made it difficult for him to stand, let alone walk. And while the others were objecting and trying to convince the dragon that he didn't have to blade, that he shouldn't blade, Kai said nothing. He understood exactly what was going on in Tyson's mind. He felt exactly as Tyson felt. And he had no qualms about telling the others so either. They shut up about it after that.

_"And you call yourself a friend! Or don't you care that Tyson's ankle is really hurt bad?" Hilary shouted at Max and Rei. Max's face fell._

_Kenny ran up, panting for breath. "It's no use, Hilary. When it comes to Beyblading there's no way you're going to change Tyson's mind. He's so stubborn he won't listen to anyone!"_

_"Are you serious?! But he could get hurt for life if we don't talk some sense into him right now!"_

_"You don't understand." Kai finally stepped in. He had taken one look at Tyson and the battle, and known exactly what the World Champion was doing. He understood, and he'd make the others understand, too. "Turn around and look at how weak his Dragoon is."_

_They all turned, trying to see whatever it was Kai saw._

_"There's a good chance Tyson might lose this one, but he knows exactly what he's doing."_

_Hilary scowled. "Then explain to me why in the world would he want to do this to himself?!"_

_"It's the only way to protect his bit-beast."_

_"What do you mean by that Kai?" Max asked, not sure he understood._

_"Tyson and his Dragoon have a connection that's nearly impossible to explain. When one is hurt, so is the other. And now they must battle to regain their strength again." Kai raised his eyes to watch the continuing battle._

_"So…you're saying this is more than a game to him?" Max reasoned out, frowning in concern. The others all looked over at Tyson, seeing him in a light they hadn't before._

_"It's not a game to him." Kai stated firmly. "It's his life."_

_Hilary stared at her classmate, shocked. She had never claimed to understand the sport of Beyblading, and now she knew the reason she could never understand Tyson and what she'd viewed as his obsession and huge ego. "I didn't know…" Tears pricked at her eyes as she watched Tyson getting weaker._

Kai discovered he _could_ be prouder of Tyson than he had at the last World Championships. He also began to have inklings of emotions that he hadn't believed he would ever have for another person, let alone someone like Kinomiya Tyson.

Tyson was a true blader, with a spirit that matched Kai's own.

Tyson was a true friend, someone Kai needed badly in his life.

Before Kai could think about it any further, however, Mr. Dickenson and Gramps had arrived in a helicopter to rescue them. Back on the mainland, Tyson spent the night in the hospital for observation, thanks to his injured ankle and the exhaustion from the battle. Kai had a run in with Dunga – yet again – though their match was foiled by Ozuma, who had stuck his blade in to prevent the creeps from Team Psykick from spying on the match.

Mr. Dickenson found out that Dunga and Ozuma were part of a team called the Saint Shields, but that was it. The BBA knew nothing else yet.

After that, things were fairly quiet for a time. But Kai knew. It was the calm before the storm. Neither group of adversaries had disappeared, and they'd be back.

* * *

Max and Rei had a run in with Mariam and her little brother, Joseph, and once again they'd lost. Kai hadn't been present for that, but he knew they'd tried their best. The Saint Shields intrigued him.

Kenny and Hilary had found him and told him what was happening. Kai immediately went with them, and they found Tyson battling Ozuma once again in an abandoned building in the forest not far from the dojo. Kai watched in silence, beginning to get a little worried as Ozuma and his Flash Leopard were all over Tyson and Dragoon like a bad heat rash.

But Tyson wasn't the World Champ for nothing. He came back from behind with a vengeance, and he won – though Ozuma nor his teammates seemed particularly worried about it. They just walked off, Ozuma's parting comment ringing in all four bladers' minds.

_"…I think you've still got a long way to improve your bit-beast technique."_

Kai couldn't help but think maybe the Saint Shields knew something the Bladebreakers didn't. Still…he didn't trust them for a second. Not a bit.

It didn't take long to get a glimpse of what was going on with Team Psykick. Kai and his team saw the new Cyber Bit-beast for themselves. Not only did they have the Saint Shields to deal with, now they had some weird, mutant, digital copies of their own bit-beasts and some crazy scientists controlling them to worry about, too.

One thing was for sure, they needed training. But they quickly found out that Kenny's regime was worse than anything Hilary could come up with. And he'd thought _she_ was a drill sergeant. Yeesh.

And even in training, when Kai battled Tyson, he couldn't begin to describe the curious thrill that washed through him every single time.

* * *

Out of nowhere one day, Wyatt appeared. Kai noticed the others had strange looks on their faces at Wyatt's appearance, but he had no intention of explaining. He didn't need to – Wyatt took care of that on his own. It was getting on Kai's nerves, just a little, how the kid just couldn't understand that when Kai said "No." he meant it. And yet Wyatt was still begging for Kai to train him.

Kai was a very good judge of skill level, and Wyatt was not up to their level. There were other reasons, too, though. Unsurprisingly, Rei got it. He understood that Kai didn't trust Wyatt, not after that stunt the kid had pulled before (stealing Dranzer guaranteed Kai would never trust Wyatt again, no matter how much he begged).

Things never seemed to turn out well for Kai. He'd been entirely correct in turning Wyatt down. How could he have known that those creepy scientists would use Wyatt like they did to further their plans?

It would be one of the greatest regrets of his life.

Kai wasn't particularly fond of Wyatt, didn't consider him a friend – not like his teammates and especially not like Tyson. They had earned his trust and respect. That took some doing with Kai. Wyatt didn't seem to understand that. But even if he didn't like the kid, he wouldn't wish Wyatt's fate on his worst enemy. So when Wyatt suffered under the control of the Cyber Dranzer bit beast, it hurt Kai to witness it, even if Kai didn't personally battle Wyatt (Dunga had stepped in before Kai could). There had been one moment near the end of the battle where Wyatt glanced at Kai and their eyes had met for a brief second, and in that second it seemed like time stopped long enough for Kai to ask Wyatt: Why?

_"Can't you see…that Team Psykick is just using you?"_

_"I just wanted to be accepted as a real blader…like you, Kai."_

That would haunt Kai for the rest of his life, he knew. Wyatt lost control and he won the battle, but in the end, he lost his life. Kai held him in his final moments, and had never been so angry and upset in his life.

Kai promised revenge on Team Psykick. And he knew his teammates were right behind him and in total agreement. This would never happen again to anyone else.

He remembered how Tyson had stayed with him that same evening, when all the others had gone home for the night. Rei went over to stay with Max that night, seeming to sense that Kai needed space – and then there was a whispered conversation between Rei and Tyson that Kai noticed before he'd left.

He promptly forgot about it though. He had more immediate concerns to deal with.

Sort of out of it after the whole ordeal, Kai didn't even notice, really, when Tyson led him home to the dojo, and even made sure Kai ate something before they went to bed.

It was the middle of the night when Kai woke up in a cold sweat, dreams chasing him out of any restful slumber he may have gotten. Dreams mixed with old nightmares and new ones.

_Kai drew his knees up to his chest and buried his head in his arms, wresting across his knees. He shivered, despite the fact that it wasn't cold in the dojo at all._

_"Uhn…huh? Kai?" Tyson rolled over onto his side from his previously sprawled state and yawned sleepily, drooping eyes searching for his friend. "Oh. You're up?"_

_"Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you." Kai murmured, looking over at him briefly. Then he stared out across the room at the far wall. "Go back to sleep."_

_Tyson frowned and sat up, hiding a yawn. "It's okay. Something wrong, Kai? Well…other than the obvious?"_

_"Bad dreams." Kai hedged, looking away from the wall and Tyson. "I'm fine. You should sleep, Tyson."_

_"Yeah, well, so should you. Kai…you know I'm here for you, right? I mean…if you need to talk or anything at all…"_

_"I know." Kai whispered, shuddering. It didn't mean he would allow himself to take advantage of that knowledge though. He didn't want to burden Tyson with his issues. Tyson was a happy soul who didn't need Kai's depressing thoughts and nightmares weighing him down – at least in Kai's mind._

_Suddenly a pair of arms slid around him from the side and a face burrowed into his shoulder. Kai stiffened at first, unused to human contact, but it was Tyson… He went limp and leaned into Tyson in return, shuddering again with the force of his emotions. The bluenette didn't say anything, just moved closer and shifted, drawing Kai into the welcoming warmth of his body and holding Kai to his chest, arms curling around him. Kai sucked in a shuddering breath and buried his face into Tyson's shirt-clad stomach, tears spilling out and arms clinging almost desperately to Tyson._

_"God I hate this!" He cried angrily, voice muffled by Tyson's shirt. "I thought we'd made the world a safe place for bladers and bit-beasts, and now this! He was a pest but he didn't deserve this!"_

_Tyson's arm tightened, and the other hand began to rub at Kai's back and shoulders, occasionally running fingers through Kai's hair soothingly. "No he didn't. And you know we're all going to do whatever it takes to make sure it never happens again to anyone else. But please don't let it eat at you like this, Kai. You don't deserve that."_

_"It's my fault! If I'd just given him a lesson or two, he wouldn't have gone to Team Psykick…"_

_"No." Tyson hauled him up to face him, eye to eye. Those unreal blue eyes glinted in the moonlight, and his face was fierce as he spoke. "No, Kai. I didn't see it at the time, but after Rei explained, it made perfect sense to me. You did what you had to do to protect the team – like the captain and leader you are. If you were any less than that, do you think we would follow you? Do you think we would listen when you gave us advice or told us what to do if we want to improve ourselves? Of course not. Wyatt wanted to battle you and be trained by you a little too badly. He was obsessed with you, and that's not your fault. He made his own choices, and as harsh as it is to say it, he died by those choices. You had every right to refuse him, and it isn't your fault that he couldn't handle that. Do you hear what I'm saying, Kai?" He gave Kai a little shake._

_Tears still trickled down his cheeks, but Kai's expression turned just as fierce as Tyson's. "I hear. Let me go, Tyson." Sure, he appreciated what Tyson was trying to get at, but it didn't change his mind much. He still felt he was to blame for Wyatt's death._

_"Nope. Not tonight." Tyson grinned, apparently seeing something in Kai's eyes that told him his captain would be just fine. "Tonight just pretend you're not tough and a loner and let me take some of the weight off your shoulders, okay?" He lay down next to Kai on their futons on the floor, and kept Kai within easy reach, holding his hand grasped firmly within his own, lying between their heads._

_He really wanted to resist on principle, but he was exhausted, emotionally drained, and…comfortable. He couldn't believe how relaxed and comfortable he was with Tyson like this. So he gave in and let his body sink into slumber once more. His eyes closed, and he missed the fond, concerned smile that crossed his friend's face with eyes filled with sadness._

He was gone the next morning when Tyson woke up. Kai had no wish to hang around for the embarrassment of waking up as he had – snuggled up to Tyson with legs pressed together and Tyson's free hand in his hair, their other hands still joined. Kai had gently extricated himself and made a hasty retreat.

Team Psykick didn't waste time. They found some new bladers, a whole team of them this time, to take up the Cyber-enhanced blades and attempt to go up against the Bladebreakers. It was already intensely personal for Kai, but now they'd gotten to Tyson, too, as the new team of Kane, Salima, Goki, and Jim did something that Tyson already had too much experience with: betrayal.

There were a few hitches along the way with their training, but they made it through – oddly enough with a little, uh, _help_ from the Saint Shields of all people. Now it was time to battle Team Psykick, to avenge Wyatt and show Kane and his team what true blading was about.

* * *

The battle tower.

This was a whole new ballgame. They'd never seen or experienced anything like it.

Four battles. Four members of Team Psykick. Sudden death matches. Mr. Dickenson warned against it and tried to talk them out of it, but they insisted. Tyson outright refused anything but a sudden death match – and Kai was right behind him.

Of course, they didn't expect these goons to play nice. They should have known, though, that the Saint Shields would be shadowing them. The enemy of my enemy is my friend…or something like that. In this case, another enemy team became their back-up, leveling the playing field and allowing the Bladebreakers to move on to the real battles instead of getting worn down too early.

The first match belonged to Max. His opponent was Jim, who looked really out of it. And while Max was out in the stadium of the second floor, the rest of the team was trapped in a glass cage, unable to do anything but watch the battle, unable to help. Not to mention it was _vastly_ unfair that the Cyber Draciel could be _repaired_! It was a completely unfair advantage.

Max gave it his best. They'd never see him fight as hard and as skillful as this…but it wasn't going to be enough. All his stubborn will and defense couldn't stand up to the Cyber version of his very own Draciel being constantly repaired. The blonde was devastated, but vowed to get his beloved Sacred Spirit back, no matter what.

The second match belonged to Rei. It was a typical battle for him in many ways, including being highly emotional. And of course Team Psykick was cheating with their little wind makers. But he won.

Now it was Kai's turn. Finally he'd have his chance to get vengeance for Wyatt. But part way through his battle with Goki, Kai began to wonder if he was losing his mind. Where Goki stood, he kept seeing Wyatt – lost to the control of the Cyber Dranzer. The one person in the world who Kai could not fight no matter what. Goki unleashed a very dirty trick by using the techniques and attack patterns of Kai's teammates against Kai. Coupled with the ghostly images of Wyatt superimposed over Goki it was no wonder that even Kai hesitated and lost focus. Luckily, both blades exited the stadium at the same time, and it was a draw. But it wasn't the end. The match was sudden death, after all, and required a victor. And gee wasn't Gideon generous giving them a whole _minute_ to prepare.

Kai tried to explain what was happening to him to his teammates, who were shocked and very concerned about him. But…leave it to Tyson to know exactly what Kai needed to hear to kick him back into the game and bring the phoenix back to himself.

_"I wasn't caught off guard just because they were using Driger and Draciel's attack patterns. There's something else…" Kai stared across the stadium at Goki, who was smirking evilly and tossing his blade up in the air and catching it, over and over and over. It was the unnerving expression on his face, one that threw Kai off balance. He hated it._

_Tyson and Hilary stared at him in inquiry. "What was it?" Hilary asked._

_"It must be something pretty big to make you lose focus." Max stated. It was the truth, after all. One of the things that made Kai so good was his ridiculously rigid focus._

_"Yes." Kai agreed. "It's Goki. He looks like…just like Wyatt."_

_"Huh?" his team chorused, confused._

_"Wyatt?" Tyson frowned and looked over at their opponent, not sure he saw what Kai did._

_"Can't you see it? His expression…it's the same as Wyatt's was on that day…" Kai remembered very, very clearly what that expression had looked like. He doubted he'd ever forget._

_"So…what you're saying is, you can't fight back as hard as you want because it feels like you're fighting Wyatt." Tyson reasoned. Kai nodded. The dragon got it._

_"Yes." Kai confirmed._

_"Dude, they look nothing alike!" Tyson exclaimed. He didn't like how this was messing with Kai's head. And he really didn't like how Kai was back in that guilt-ridden frame of mind that he'd thought they'd taken care of that past night._

_"What? Can't you see it?!" Kai's hands turned into fists at his sides, clenching around his blade._

_"Huh. Yeah, sure…if he loses like a hundred pounds, right?" Tyson's comment did what it was intended to – it made Kai mad._

_"Tyson!"_

_"Open your eyes! That's not Wyatt! It's Goki! What happened to Wyatt, Kai, was not your fault!"_

_"But…he was counting on me and I couldn't help him…"_

_"Oh Kai…" that came from Kenny and Hilary. He especially hated that pitying tone. Tyson shoved past them._

_"Kai! Stop dwelling on the past, okay!? It's some kind of Psykick whammy! You're not fighting against Wyatt, you're fighting for him!"_

_Kai stepped forward as Gideon reappeared on screen to start the next round. The others watched worriedly, wondering if their captain could shake off this funk and take control again._

_As far as Tyson was concerned, he would make sure of it. No one pulled this shit on his teammates. No one. Especially not Kai, who had enough to deal with as it was._

Both bladers came out fiercely. But Kai was still off-balance and unsure. And would you believe that _Tyson_ came up with such a deep thought as the fact that they were battling themselves as much as their opponents.

No matter how hard Kai was trying, he couldn't seem to shake Wyatt's ghost. It haunted him.

Just when it looked like he might give in, Tyson's voice rang out, breaking through the fog and the illusion.

_"You've lost Wyatt, Kai! Don't lose yourself!"_

_Wyatt…_ Kai struggled to fight back. _I wanted to protect you, but I failed. I can't fight you…not you_. _No. I won't give up. I won't let them manipulate me! Got to fight… This is for you, Wyatt!_ Memories of all the times he'd spent with Wyatt – invited or not – flashed through his mind as he battled with an intensity the others had never seen.

Still, it wasn't looking good. That Cyber Dranzer was extremely powerful. Then Goki made a fatal mistake: he insulted Wyatt to Kai's face, calling him a wimpy blader. Like the fire-wielder Kai was, he just exploded, rage fueling the flames and his beloved Dranzer.

Goki was toast.

Kai won, and he could finally put Wyatt's memory to rest. The weight of that match fell off his shoulders, and he could almost hear Wyatt saying "Thank you…my friend."

His team was ecstatic, and he got a momentary flying tackle hug out of Tyson for it – though the bluenette was quick enough to scramble away before he could have his head taken off for the audacity. He couldn't have known, though, that Kai really didn't mind that much (this time…).

The last battle fittingly belonged to Tyson. It never, ever ceased to amaze Kai how much Tyson improved every single time he bladed. Kai was tired from his own battle, but every second of Tyson's battle with Kane seemed just like it was Kai in that battle. He felt it just as Tyson did, and somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered just what that signified. What was this strange relationship/bond-thing that was developing between them?

Tyson's battles are always spectacular and this one was no different. Dragoon was so powerful, but the Cyber version of him was scary powerful. All the Cyber versions were equally scary, and the Bladebreakers had good reason to worry about Tyson.

Then again, he had enough conviction and belief in his abilities to win a thousand times over. That, too, never ceased to amaze Kai.

Things continued to get hairy, with the Cyber Dragoon proceeding to demolish the building with the energy waves it emitted. The only way to stop it was for Tyson to win. Kai…stood by helplessly, not knowing how he could help or do anything at all to stop this insanity.

Kenny finally came to the conclusion it was forfeit or be seriously hurt, maybe killed. At first, though Tyson hated it intensely, he agreed. He tried to stop, but Dragoon's will was enough to spur Tyson on. They were one, after all, and Tyson was just too stubborn to willingly quit.

It was a whole new battle now. Kai watched with more than a little awe as Tyson went after that Cyber bit-beast with pure strength of will.

The battle was over and Tyson had finally won. He even saved Kane from the control of the Cyber Dragoon. Now of course, they had another problem…a collapsing building.

Kai was sure they'd make it out in time. But Max turned around and went back for Draciel (understandably, but still!) and Tyson, being Tyson, went after him.

Kai, Rei, Hilary and Kenny, along with Mr. Dickenson, Kane and his teammates all made it out in time…to watch the building collapse behind them. Horror filled Kai through to his very soul, his body frozen in place as he watched with the knowledge that Tyson was in there somewhere, as was Max. He couldn't move, couldn't breath, couldn't scream no matter how much he wanted to. If Tyson didn't make it out…

As the smoke cleared, two figures came running toward them. Relief flooded Kai and all the others as Max and Tyson – with the forgotten Saint Shields right behind them – appeared. Had he not been in front of all the others, Kai wouldn't have hesitated to hug Tyson and not let go for a while. He'd never been so scared in all his life.

And why, pray tell, was he feeling like he wanted to strangle Kane for shaking Tyson's hand?

* * *

Next stop, New York. Max's mother flew the team to America where she would fix up their blades and repair the damages done in their battles with Team Psykick. She also had something to show them.

Tyson snored most of the flight. Hilary actually put up with it, reasoning that he deserved it for being a hero at the battle tower. Kenny objected that Kai was as much of a hero as Tyson – which Tyson agreed to.

_"Kai's my hero!"_

Sure, he said it in a tone that sounded highly sarcastic, but at the same time, Kai heard a note of sincerity and fondness. Of course, he'd never admit to being awake for that conversation.

Judy met them at the airport and took them straight to the BBA labs. What she had to show them was a little disappointing, considering how much she built up the suspense. It was a rock. Kai didn't much care about a rock but when Judy explained why it was significant, he changed his mind.

It contained bit-beasts sealed within.

This was the beginning of the connection between their bit-beasts, the Saint Shields, and the weird scientists behind Team Psykick.

Returning to Japan, that connection was made much clearer. The Saint Shields were of the tribe that created that rock. Their goal was to seal the four most powerful of the Sacred Spirits – Dragoon, Dranzer, Driger, and Draciel, ostensibly for their protection.

It didn't go well at first. Rei battled Dunga and lost. Ozuma and his team sealed away Driger. Max battled Mariam next, and he won – barely.

Dunga came along not long after that, looking to defeat Kai and seal Dranzer. And he had some help with Joseph. Two on one was so not fair, and Rei joined in, hoping to somehow find a way to win Driger back.

In the end, they won and Rei was reunited with Driger – an evolved, stronger Driger.

Tyson's battle with Ozuma was intense. They were both good, and both true bladers. They fought like there was nothing else in the world. One very damaged blade later, Tyson and Ozuma had tied the match. Thanks to that, Tyson had proved to Ozuma that they _were_ worthy of their Sacred Spirits, and worthy to protect them.

* * *

The approach of the World Championships was next on their agenda. And in between their training and matches, they had a new group of weird bladers with unreal bit-beasts to deal with. It soon became clear where Judy's rock had gone to when it had been stolen, as well as what it was being used for. It was the same scientists that had been behind Team Psykick! They were using the sealed spirits from the rock to create blades for their minion bladers to use in the attempt to defeat the Bladebreakers and capture _their_ bit-beasts – for what purpose they _still_ didn't know.

Mr. Dickenson had revealed his past as a researcher of a rock just like the one Judy had been studying. Coincidence? Kai didn't think so. Not with the way their luck seemed to always go.

Then there was that new kid, Zeo. He was young, he was strange, and he was extremely enthusiastic around Tyson.

There it was again! That ridiculous feeling of possession that Kai wasn't sure he liked or understood. Still, he swallowed it back, considering there wasn't anything wrong with Zeo. He was a good kid, and a nice guy. So he was obsessed with Tyson…Kai knew what that felt like, and it wasn't like Tyson encouraged it.

Okay he did. Zeo was an ego boost and a half for the bluenette. Something Tyson definitely didn't need.

Kai shook himself out of that green jealousy and concentrated on the Worlds and the new freaky bladers instead. They were far more important at the moment.

Blader after blader, the Bladebreakers fought and won against mysterious spirits from the stolen rock and those that wielded them. And then one day...Zeo seemed to disappear, just before the Worlds. It was really odd – and super suspicious, in Kai's book. Okay, yes. He didn't trust anyone. Well, except Tyson and his teammates. Of course, it wouldn't take long for them to find out why Zeo disappeared.

The World Championships started off as normally as usual… The team kept training in preparation, though they were a tad distracted by the no-show Zeo. They investigated a little, and found that he quit at the training centre, abandoning the kid Zeo was to be partnered with for the Worlds.

Then…they spotted him briefly at the bridge. But...he just ran away, seeming to be freaked out and afraid of them! More, he called them _enemies_! Kai was shocked, and more, he was concerned about Tyson. He didn't want to accept something like that. Though Tyson would have run after Zeo, Kai kept him back, telling Tyson that maybe someday Zeo would tell him why and that he'd made his choice – and it didn't include the Bladebreakers.

Tyson was rather distracted after that. Kai didn't blame him, but he did manage to keep in the game. They had other things to worry about – like picking their partners for the tournament, what with the new tag-team rules. Hilary attempted to help; she brought all her fortune-telling books to the dojo in order to determine who should go together. Tyson didn't think so, though.

Kai ran into someone new, too. A twin brother/sister team of blade hunters, King and Queen. They ambushed Kai on the beach when he was off doing his solitary training one day, and they damaged Kai's blade. Thankfully, the blade was damaged to the point where nothing on it was useful to them. When he went to the dojo to get Kenny to try repairing it, he was rather embarrassed and really, really mad. Apparently both Rei and Max had heard of the duo before. And while Kai appreciated that the team wanted to go after King and Queen, he told them to butt out – and that went double for Tyson. The last thing he wanted was to see Tyson lose to them and have Dragoon destroyed, especially so close to the tournament.

There were all kinds of bladers in the tournament. Even a few old enemies – turned friends. Kane and Jim entered as a team, too. They were glad to see it. Kenny repaired Dranzer for Kai, with a few new improvements. _Dranzer… Kai thought, moving to take up a position in order to test out his new blade. I hope Kenny knows what he's doing. I can't go through all of that again…_

"Whoa." Was the consensus of his team, eyes bugging out at the wild skill Kai and Dranzer displayed. Then Kenny added a new attack ring. Kai was sure that it would be all he needed to take care of those parts hunters, and get revenge.

Ahem. Never mind that Kai had once run a gang that did business the same way… He didn't do that anymore. The Blade Sharks were long since retired.

The next day he got his chance. Whatever made the guy think he could take on Dranzer in the air, no one knew. Still, when it was obvious Kai was winning, King pulled a fast one and knocked a tree over. Kai just managed to dodge the falling timber. Tyson and the others were at his side in moments, and Tyson was kneeling down checking over the phoenix in concern for injury. Kai shrugged him off, though it wasn't much of an effort. King and Queen were gone anyway.

The next day, after Tyson and Max's first battle, Kenny discovered that the parts hunters had entered the tournament. It looked like they'd get a second chance at revenge after all.

* * *

This was not the Bladebreakers' year.

Dr. Zaggart, their arch-nemesis, showed up at Mr. Dickenson's office, demanding that Zeo – who turned out to be his son – be entered in the finals of the tournament. And Zaggart admitted that he'd extracted the most powerful of the rock's bit-beasts (thereby also admitting to having stole it and that it was in his possession) and that he'd bestowed it on Zeo. Its name was Cerberus, and he warned Tyson to beware, because he would lose Dragoon, as would the other Bladebreakers.

Confused, Tyson and the others had no idea what to make of the new developments. The only thing they could do was to train, prepare, and be as ready as possible for the upcoming matches.

Going down to where the tournaments were being held, they discovered that the matches Zeo and Gordo (his teammate) had been entered in were already over – in record time. There were unbelievable rumours flying around about the newcomers, and it sent Tyson in to a daze. He seemed to space out, lost in thought and memory. Kai, however, wouldn't let him be distracted for long.

_"How long are you going to zone out, Tyson? The final rounds of the World Championships are almost here. We don't have time to be worrying about Zeo." Kai raised an eyebrow at the bluenette in challenge._

_"You're wrong." Tyson replied firmly._

Well, Kai didn't think he could be convincing, not on his own. Tyson was stubborn as a mule, after all. After the others joined in, recommending that they forget Zeo and concentrate on what they knew best – blading – then things would come together on their own, in time. Tyson reluctantly agreed, and they moved on.

At least one pleasant surprise popped up at the press conference before the finals. Ozuma and the Saint Shields returned, having also entered the tournament. They had done so in order to help protect the four Sacred Spirits, unsurprisingly. Really, though, all four bladers of the Bladebreakers were relieved to know they had that back-up…though at the same time they were apprehensive because if they lost, then the Saint Shields would have every excuse to come after their bit-beasts again and this time seal them for good. That was _not_ something Kai even wanted to contemplate.

It also made Kai glad he wasn't the only team captain that had trouble reigning in a hot-tempered teammate. King and Queen provoked a fight at that conference, and Dunga pounced on it with his considerable zeal and rage. Ozuma tried to get him to back down, but Dunga wouldn't listen. Thankfully, the situation was calmed down, and the tournament was on.

* * *

Finally. Kai had been waiting for this. The Worlds for the second time around.

He was teamed with Rei, while Tyson and Max were teamed together. One way or another, the Bladebreakers would get to the finals.

Beginning with the quarter finals, Zeo and Gordo were up against Ozuma and Dunga. Kai let Tyson go, when the bluenette decided he _had_ to talk to Zeo, no matter what. If there was anyone who could get through to Zeo and have even a chance of convincing him to give up whatever mad scheme his father had roped him into, it was Tyson. After all, if Tyson could change Kai's life for the better, then he could help Zeo.

Kai wasn't sure exactly what happened, but when Tyson returned to sit with his team in the audience to watch the match, he was subdued and quiet. Obviously things hadn't turned out well and Tyson was hiding behind a false cheer that didn't fool anyone. But…the others couldn't say or do anything to help, not really, so they left him alone. Kai, in his own way, still kept his eye on Tyson however. It was the only thing he _could_ do at this point.

Watching the match with a keen set of crimson eyes, Kai took stock of their enemy. It was over quickly. Dunga just couldn't do it. He lost to Gordo in short order, and now it was Ozuma's turn – against Zeo. This was going to be tough.

Ozuma was doing well. He was pushing Zeo and Cerberus hard. And then…suddenly…Zeo snapped, and there was a ridiculously huge power surge from Zeo, overwhelming Ozuma and Flash Leopard. Tyson's eyes were glued to the battle, as were everyone else's in the stadium. But it seemed the harder Ozuma pushed, the more Zeo fought back and the more powerful he became, until a huge whirlwind of pure power erupted from his blade and took the stadium by storm. Cerberus was released, and Ozuma had no idea how to deal with it.

The Bladebreakers watched in horror as Flash Leopard's attack was swatted aside as if it were no more than a fly. The following assault was just too much for Ozuma. Even if he lost, no one would ever say Ozuma hadn't fought to the bitter end, hadn't given his all.

When it was over, there was no more to say. Shocked, awed, and vowing to defeat Zeo and Gordo at all costs, the Bladebreakers tried their best to figure out what the hell had just happened. Kenny had detected something weird with Zeo during that match, and now he and his considerable computer techniques had a job to do – find out what that weird something was, before the team found themselves at the mercy of a worse fate than Ozuma and Dunga: the loss of their bit-beasts.

This time, the fight was not about saving the world or winning a second World Championship title. This time…it was about protecting and keeping Dragoon, Dranzer, Draciel, and Driger.

* * *

_Kai found Tyson brooding by the koi pond just outside his bedroom._

_"Hey, Tyson. Is everything alright?" he inquired. Tyson blinked out of his daze and stood, looking over at his friend._

_"Huh? Kai! I'm fine." Tyson sighed and looked back down at the pool._

_"I guess you're up against Kane and Jim next, huh?" Kai watched him closely. He was concerned that Tyson was so caught up in the Zeo situation that he'd neglect his other battles._

_"I know, Kai. I saw the schedule."_

_"Take my advice, Tyson, and forget about Zeo and concentrate on your next fight. Otherwise, you won't be focused and you'll lose for sure." With that, Kai walked off in typical Kai-fashion, after delivering his advice and the closest thing that came to a pep-talk he was capable of. He only hoped Tyson would take it to heart._

The next day when they arrived for the match, they found out that Kane and Jim had been attacked by King and Queen, and they had lost. Their blades were unfit for battle, and had pulled out because of it. Kane and Jim, as good as they were, couldn't compete with King and Queen – bit-beast-less as they were. It was going to be up to Mariam and Joseph, who had replaced Kane and Jim as King and Queen's opponents, to take out the parts hunters and teach them a lesson.

When it looked like Mariam had the upper hand, King jumped in, an illegal move – until Tyson and Ozuma both called for Mr. Dickenson to allow it when Joseph jumped into the fray, too. It was a true tag-team battle. Unfortunately, the Saint Shields' sister/brother combo were overwhelmed by the parts hunters' moves. Joseph and Mariam's blades were destroyed completely but for the bit-pieces. Horrified, the crowd was silent as King and Queen left the stadium. And next…would be Tyson and Max against King and Queen.

Kai and Rei had their first battle against a pair of Mexicans who were actually not half bad bladers. Of course, they still weren't a match for either Bladebreaker.

After their battle was done, it was up to Tyson and Max to take down the parts hunters. Kai gave his usual blunt, somewhat caustic advice in that Max shouldn't second-guess himself, not now with the experience that he had under his belt. A surprise was in store: Judy appeared with a new blade for Max, Draciel V2. But...Kenny came through with an upgrade for Dragoon, also.

The battle was as expected: fierce. However, it turned out there was some outside interference happening. Some weird scientist chick was trying to sabotage the match by attacking Dragoon directly when her sponsored minions (King and Queen) didn't want to cooperate. In a rather shocking move, Tyson and King teamed up to get her out of the way long enough for them to continue the battle – a fair fight, this time. Tyson won, and Kai had to smile at the result. Tyson and Max made it to the finals.

Now Kai and Rei had their opportunity to make it there also. They just had to get through Zeo and Gordo first… But Kai was determined. He wanted to face Tyson again, and this was his chance. He said as much to Tyson on the way to the stadium, and Tyson grinned back, agreeing perfectly.

* * *

Rei was up first against Gordo. And no matter how hard he tried, his usual speed wasn't enough to catch Gordo. It was clear to Kai that their opponents had been prepared for their battle, taking Rei's attacks into account. Someone had to speak up, and it was up to Kai (considering they were partners in this tournament…). Kai reminded Rei of how he'd lost Driger to the Saint Shields, and how it had felt.

_"Do you want to feel that way again?" Kai demanded harshly._

_"No way!" Rei ground out. "Never again!"_

Their final attack resulted in an exhausted Rei and a huge tie. To end this, it would be up to Kai.

He was not really fond of high pressure, not like this. But he lived for a good battle like this.

Kai had no idea what hit him. Zeo was insanely powerful, and Dranzer was having a really hard time keeping up with Cerberus. It was looking grim until a voice called out from the audience.

_"Kai! I thought you were going to face me in the finals!"_

_Tyson… Kai felt a wave of calm wash over him and there was a surge of determination that flooded his mind once again._

He threw his all into a huge attack, and the explosion rocked the entire stadium. The dish was history, and both blades came out alive and spinning. They attacked each other again, and now they were using the entire stadium as a dish. Forgetting everything but the fervent desire to win this battle, the two bladers went at it. But…

Kai lost. Dranzer stopped spinning. And Kai had to watch in horror as Dranzer was taken from him

A single, ghostly, burning red feather drifted down from the air to land in Kai's palm, and disappeared. It tore Kai's heart in pieces. Rage and mind-numbing sorrow crashed through him and his cry silenced the stadium.

…and it nearly broke Tyson's heart to hear it.

* * *

He was sure he'd never seen the bluenette this upset and enraged. Though…Kai wasn't really paying attention at the time. He was just too absorbed in grief over the loss of Dranzer to really pay attention.

Later, Hilary would inform him that Tyson went nuts with training and a single-minded focus none of them had ever seen him display for anything else.

It would also be Hilary that would come along and remind Kai of his place on the team, and that Tyson needed reigning in. The only person he'd listen to, especially right now, was Kai. At first, Kai told her to go away and leave him alone. He preferred wallowing in misery, thanks.

_Kai stood on at the railing at the lookout point near the dojo, staring out at the sea and going over that dreadful match over and over again in his mind. There must have been something he could have done…_

_What difference does it make now? I'm sorry, Dranzer. I let you down. I couldn't protect you… You've always been there for me. Even in the worst of times. There's nothing left for me to do but quit Beyblading. I'm not enough to spin Dranzer or any other blade ever again. Goodbye, Dranzer…_

_Tears silently poured out, but he ignored them._

_Hilary found him there, no longer crying, but still moody. She tried cheering him up, in her own way, but made the mistake of telling him the others would get Dranzer back for him. Kai turned and walked away at that._

_"Leave me alone. I've decided to quit Beyblading for good today." He nearly choked on the words, but said them anyway. They came out sad and defeated – totally unlike the blader that said them._

_"You quit!? But…wait a minute!" Hilary cried. Kai stopped, but didn't turn around. "Hey! You can't quit! I'm sorry that you lost your match, but the Bladebreakers are still in the competition and they need your support. It would be selfish of you to walk away just because you're feeling down. Max and Rei are training really hard right now to get Dranzer back for you. How do you think they'll feel? Kai, it's not like you to give up! Remember how hard you battled when Driger was taken from Rei? Kai!"_

_He heard her words, heard exactly what she was trying to tell him under those words – his team needed him, bit-beast or not. Still, in typical Kai fashion, he didn't respond except to continue to walk away while she kept shouting at him._

_"Huh. I never knew that you were such a cold-hearted person." She stated. "Go on then. But remember the Bladebreakers aren't a team if you're not there when they need you the most!" She stormed off._

_Kai winced at that. But kept walking._

Kai walked around for a while, thinking about the entire situation and what his next step should be. Somehow, he ended up in the place where he'd least wanted to be ever again at the moment, as if there was something calling him there.

The now empty bey-stadium where he'd lost Dranzer and let down his team.

More…where he'd let Tyson down.

It wasn't completely empty, though. Tyson was there, and he seemed to be spaced out completely. He didn't even notice when Kai launched his blade to meet the still spinning Dragoon in the new dish. But he sure noticed when his blade got punched out of the dish.

Kai leapt down to join him, and he initiated an impromptu battle. At first, Tyson wasn't doing very well. The first battle sent his blade shooting out of the dish without much effort.

_"What's the matter? You know you'll never beat Zeo if you play like that." Kai taunted on the next round. Good…Tyson was at least fighting back now, though still weak and without determination._

_"Oh yeah!?" Tyson snarled back. Kai always did know the buttons to push when he wanted a rise out of the dragon._

Neither noticed their teammates appear at the stadium's players' entrance in search of Tyson, or heard their collective gasps at the sight of their friends and teammates battling.

_I'm doing this for you Tyson. I want you to know how it felt; how it felt to lose to Zeo and have Dranzer taken away from me._ He attacked with a vengeance, and Tyson responded in kind. Their teammates began to cheer them both on, and it seemed to be the medicine for Tyson's funk. Still, Kai held his own, even without his beloved Phoenix spirit.

_Win Tyson. I want you to **win**!

* * *

_

The result of their training was two very exhausted bladers. The team split up for the night. Kenny and Hilary went to their own homes, Rei went over to Max's for the night, and Kai stayed at the dojo with Tyson. They bunked out in Tyson's room instead of in the dojo training room, as they usually did, because Gramps decided it was time to clean the place from top to bottom, including the futons and spare blankets. So Kai was going to have to sleep with Tyson. It wouldn't be the first time they had to share a bed, but it was still not the most comfortable idea in the world – for all kinds of reasons (from Kai's perspective, at least).

Words were not needed at this point between them. They went about their nightly routines in companionable silence. Finally though, they were both just too tired to stay awake any longer and climbed into bed.

_"If you snore, I swear I'm going to hurt you." Kai warned, turning over on his side to face the wall. Tyson scowled at his back for a moment then laughed._

_"I know. Good night, Kai."_

_"Hn."_

Halfway through the night, however, dreams plagued Kai's sleep. Unable to stay asleep, he pushed back the covers and carefully climbed off the end of the bed to avoid waking up his teammate – who was snoring softly. Kai watched him sleep for a few minutes, a fond little smile on his face that he was unaware of wearing. Then he slipped outside, silently closing the sliding door behind him.

He walked out to the koi pond and sat on the rocks, watching the fish swim around lazily under the soft glow of the moon above. He had only been there for a few minutes when Tyson showed up, rubbing his eyes and yawning widely. Kai smiled to himself. The bluenette was cute, though Kai would never in a million years admit it aloud.

_"Kai? Hey, man…what are you doing up?"_

_"Couldn't sleep." Kai went back to watching fish. "You need your sleep, Kinomiya. Go back to bed."_

_"We aren't going to go through all that again are we?" Tyson sighed and sat down next to him on another rock. "Dude, if you're awake and brooding, I won't be able to sleep, so you may as well tell me what's wrong so I can fix it and we can go back to sleep."_

_"I'm fine, Kinomiya. Honest."_

_"Look, Kai…" Tyson sidled over and slid an arm around Kai's shoulders. "I know today has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions and you're still reeling from the battle today with Zeo, but…you know I'll get Dranzer back, right? You know I won't let him get away with this."_

_Kai sighed, nodding once in acknowledgment. "Thanks, Tyson. You don't know how frustrated I am. I couldn't protect Dranzer. After all we went through with Ozuma and the Saint Shields, after all our big talk and promises…I failed Dranzer."_

_Tyson stared down at his grandfather's prized koi fish and squeezed Kai's shoulders. "You didn't fail her, Kai. You bladed your absolute best, you didn't back down from Zeo, and you are doing everything you can to get her back. By helping set me straight this afternoon…you're going to get her back and you'll see that she'll be just as glad to be back with you as you will be to have her back. You and Dranzer are one, just as I am with Dragoon."_

_Feeling strangely vulnerable, Kai glanced at the bluenette uncertainly. "You really think so?"_

_"I know so. From everything that we've learned about our Sacred Spirits, from past adventures and from the Saint Shields, bit-beasts choose their partners for a reason, and if they aren't with their chosen partners, then there's trouble. Max and I…we'll fix it. I swear on Dragoon."_

_Kai stayed silent for a moment, then stood up, feeling much better about things. Tyson had a point, after all. Dranzer was probably very unhappy to be forced to reside in Zeo's blade. And he knew he could count on Tyson to set the situation straight._

_"Come on, Kinomiya."_

_Tyson smiled and got up, following the older blader back into his room._

Kai's sleep was strangely peaceful after that. He wondered, as he drifted off, if it was because he trusted Tyson enough that he could actually fully relax, and be fully confident that he would see Dranzer again. Even though he'd briefly toyed with the idea of never blading again, his heart just ached at that idea and he couldn't see himself doing anything else. The loss of Dranzer hadn't brought on a serious breakdown as Wyatt's death had, but he realized that with Tyson reassuring him that he could rectify the situation, then he could contain his emotions and simply let Tyson do his thing.

He fell into a dreamless slumber with a soft smile on his face.

* * *

The first battle was between Tyson and Gordo. Kai watched as Tyson attacked way too aggressively from the get-go, making a mistake that was similar to what Rei had done. Gordo summoned Orthorus, not leaving Tyson the chance to summon Dragoon. Then he got his opportunity and took it – he refused to lose. Gordo let loose a devastating ice attack, but he obviously hadn't paid attention to the last worlds.

Ice? Please. He didn't face Tala and come out still alive for nothing.

Tyson and Dragoon slammed Orthorus out of the dish, destroying the blade and knocking Gordo out of the competition.

Next it was Max's turn. But his opponent was Zeo, and that alone was daunting enough.

Max and Draciel went on the attack, but Zeo was able to avoid it consistently and easily. His calm was eerie, and when he finally did call out Cerberus, Max had difficulty defending himself. But he refused to quit, refused to lose, and refused to lose Draciel.

Unaware of what was going on outside the stadium, Max continued to battle in top form. Rei said he'd never seen the blonde blade like this before, and Kai had to agree with him. He took note, telling himself to never underestimate Max, should they ever blade against each other in competition.

One huge slam sent Cerberus spinning out of the dish, but Zeo somehow managed to regain control and send his blade right back at Draciel…and summoning DRANZER! Kai could only stare in shock and sorrow as his beloved phoenix spirit somehow merged with Cerberus and the combined power was a real threat to Draciel.

Max's loss meant so much more. He watched as Kai had as Draciel was taken away from him. Again, the stadium went dead silent in horror.

The blonde's loss was heartbreaking. It also meant a tiebreaker between Tyson and Zeo.

Exactly how they wanted it.

It started off in the extreme, each blader sending vicious attacks against the other. Up in the stands, however, Kenny seemed to be freaking out over something. But when he blurted out that Zeo _wasn't human_… Kai felt all kinds of puzzle pieces fall into place – especially when he saw Zeo's arm suddenly suffer some sort of mechanical failure. They all stared in shock at the…robot?! It was just too weird for words.

The new information seemed to chock Tyson at first…but hey, fighting an android? Didn't phase him as much as it probably should have. He'd battled too many weird people in too many weird conditions to be thrown by this. The battle continued, and the attacks remained vicious and intense.

At that point, Zeo revealed the truth behind his desire for their bit-beasts. Dr. Zaggart had created him in the image of his dead son, and intended to use the power of Dragoon, Dranzer, Draciel, and Driger in order to make him human. It was some sort of twisted, Pinocchio-type fairytale. And though it seemed that something like that was just impossible, Ozuma reminded them that because they were the four most powerful, anything was possible. It was a scary concept, and Kai could only watch Tyson do his thing with typical Tyson style: pure strength of spirit and love of the game.

None of them know how Tyson was going to be able to handle fighting a pumped up Cerberus with Dranzer and Draciel's powers added to the mix. Explosions rocked the stadium, the dish was a complete write off…but the battle raged on. It was looking more and more like Tyson was going to lose this match, and lose Dragoon.

But he was stubborn until the end. He never, ever gave up. Even if his own body was at risk. Beyblading was his life, after all, and he and Dragoon were one. This was not just a battle for the world title. This was a life or death battle.

Gale-force winds battered the stadium and everyone in it, and suddenly...Dragoon knocked Cerberus into oblivion. It was over, and Dranzer and Draciel were freed. Kai and the others made a mad dash for the stadium floor. Draciel and Dranzer were home where they belonged, and Kai was never so happy in his life as he was in that moment.

Tyson had won, becoming the World Champ for the second time in a row. And more, he'd won back the Sacred Spirits of his teammates.

Kai was indebted to him, and he always paid his debts.

* * *

The victory party Gramps held at the dojo was an event to remember. Kai was positive the wily old man spiked the punch, and stayed away from it.

While all their friends crashed in the newly spic-and-span dojo, Tyson disappeared someplace. No one seemed to notice, though – except Kai. He slipped out and shadowed his teammate, curious and concerned.

He finally found the dragon in a place that didn't surprise him much. It was the path near the bridge, where they'd first run into each other.

The bluenette was laying on his back in the grass, staring up at the array of stars. His hat lay on the ground beside him, with his launcher and Dragoon inside. Kai silently dropped down beside him and lay back, tucking his hands behind his head.

_"Why'd you follow me out here?" Tyson asked, glancing at Kai from the corner of his eye._

_"Just curious where you could be going when you're the centre of attention and everyone's stoking that over-inflated ego of yours." Kai replied, smirking. Tyson frowned._

_"I can't want some space? And I do not have an over-inflated ego." He denied flatly._

_"Yes, you do." Kai returned easily, sticking a piece of grass between his lips and gazing up at the stars in contentment. Everything was right in his world now, and he was looking forward to some peace and quiet…at least until the next tournament season came around. "I never pegged you as the type to need 'space' away from people."_

_"Even I need some alone time, you know. How's Dranzer doing?" Tyson asked, changing the subject. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with Kai. Not that night, at least._

_"She's fine. I'm…really glad to have her back."_

_Tyson smiled. "You're welcome."_

_Kai blushed and scowled up at the sky. "Anyway, what are you going to do now?"_

_"Me? Oh, probably go back to school and try to catch up with all that I've missed lately. Kenny and Hilary, too. I don't know what Max and Rei are going to do, though. Maybe they'll stay and come to school, too." Tyson grinned at the thought. "Actually, that would be way cool!"_

_"Just don't expect me to do your homework for you." Kai warned._

_"Hey…" Tyson rolled over onto his stomach and studied his teammate fondly. "So what about you, Kai? What are you going to do?"_

_"I don't know. Home schooling, probably. My parents…are wary of me and they don't try to restrict me in any way. I think they fear driving me away if they tried being real parents." Kai shrugged. "The private school I was at doesn't want me back. After Wyatt…well." Kai sat up and tossed the blade of grass away, watching it float away in the night breeze. "It's understandable."_

_Tyson sat up too, facing Kai with a great deal of sadness evident on his face. "I'm so sorry, Kai. I wish there was something I could do for you…"_

_"Don't, Tyson." The rare use of his name shut Tyson up effectively. "You did plenty enough for me already." Kai looked away, embarrassed. "I can't claim to have gotten through this without your support."_

_Shocked, Tyson stared at him, speechless. "Ah…of course, Kai. You know I'd do anything for you. But…I hardly did anything. I…really helped you?"_

_There was a note of uncertainty in his voice that told Kai the bluenette wasn't as confident in himself as he often pretended. "I'll say it once more, then drop it, okay? Yes, Tyson. You helped me, and I'm grateful."_

_Glomp. Kai fell over with a sniffling bluenette pinning him down in a tight hug. "Kinomiya! Get off!"_

_"Nuh uhn. You finally did something friend-like! For that, you get a hug." Tyson's arms tightened and he snuggled in happily, much to Kai's consternation._

_"Get off or die." Kai tried again, though somewhat weakly trying to pry those arms from around his waist._

_"Suffer. Your reputation's safe with me."_

_Kai, for the one and only time in his life, gave up and simply let his arms rest on Tyson's shoulders, giving them a squeeze. Sensing Kai's capitulation, Tyson released him and flipped over onto his back so that he was reclining against Kai's chest and staring back at the river and the starry night sky. The older teen draped his arms over Tyson's shoulders, resting his chin on the top of Tyson's head, and they stayed there together for quite some time before they made their way back to the dojo in mutual, silent agreement._

_No further words, after all, needed to be said.

* * *

_

**Kali Notes:** O.M.G. This season was ridiculous! Reasons for the length: way too much going on for plots in one season, and more TyKa moments than I realized. Also…you may have noticed that this part had fewer of those TyKa moments. That's because V-Force is extremely difficult to write. The combination of way to many plots and events, and the fact that most of those events are team-based and not on individual characters makes it really hard to write what I see. I'm looking forward to the third part, however. G-Rev! Stay tuned… **Please R/R!!!!**


	3. Part III

**Kali Notes:** Okay. That last part was incredibly long, even for me! I have no idea how long this part will be – considering it IS the ultimate TyKa season and all… Ah, who cares! It's meant a lot to me to write this fic, and for the responses I've gotten. I hope I don't disappoint with this part.

**Warnings:** Yaoi (shonen ai, on ffnet), adult language and situations; don't read it if you can't take the heat!

**Disclaimer:** Kali and muses do not own Beyblade or its characters. We make no money from writing this fic – how unfortunate. Neither do we own the parts in this fic taken from the English dub of the anime.

**Dedication:** To all TyKa fans everywhere, especially those hardworking writers, artists, and AMV-techs who continue to support the fandom even though everyone seems to have disappeared… O.o

– and – to TechnoRanma, Feelin Glayish, and Flamable Devil (Crazy Jen) in celebration of Tyson's Birthday – and because it's around the anniversary of the time we first 'met'…

* * *

**BETWEEN THE LINES**

**Part III

* * *

**

Contentment was me – lying on a hill with the sun shining warm and bright on my face, a gentle summer breeze keeping me just cool enough for the summery day, just behind the bench where Hilary and Kenny sat. If I wasn't highly connected to a Phoenix, I'd almost feel feline – like a cat napping in a sunbeam. Oh, and to make it just that much more complete, in the distance I could hear the voices of children shouting and cheering excitedly while their hero – two-time World Champion Beyblader, Kinomiya Tyson – looked on with pride as he conducted his little seminar. It wasn't the happy kids so much as the ringing and clashing of beyblades that made my world calm and content. There's nothing like that sound…especially when the battle is being fought between two bladers of equal skill and strength. Then…then there's almost a musical quality to it, the bangs and crashes and metal on metal scraping…echoing like notes in a melody that, if one knew what they were hearing, could judge that ability and power alone. I'd met few bladers who could – my teammates of the Bladebreakers, certainly, and maybe a handful of others. When the sound stopped, I lazily cracked an eye open to take stock of the scene below (Tyson being mobbed by his kids to be next to battle him, Kenny and Hilary watching with amusement, and Rei approaching with a bag full of the meat buns Kenny had requested earlier for lunch) before closing it again and returning to my peaceful doze.

Then suddenly my little piece of heaven was shattered by a wild yell (sounding vaguely like a human being, but I wasn't positive on that) and a massive dust cloud which announced the passing of the source of that yell – annoying me to no end. Still, seeing that it was some outrageously red-headed kid in ragged clothes who was attempting to challenge Tyson to a battle, I chose to ignore it and tried to go back to my nap, particularly when Tyson turned him down.

The sound of blades clashing gained my attention again within minutes. Apparently Tyson had decided that he needed to teach the pipsqueak (who loudly announced his name was Daichi) a lesson, and defend his title, so he had given in and accepted the challenge. I watched with vague interest – until the kid began to show that he did have some skill and talent, despite what he appeared to be. He was even giving Tyson a run for his money in power.

"_So you think you can outlast me, do ya? Well, let me give ya a piece of advice! Your Dragoon doesn't even come close to my Strata Dragoon." Daichi smirked confidently._

_Tyson stared at him, not sure he heard correctly. "Wha?!"_

"_Strata…Dragoon?" Kai stood, definitely interested now._

"_Strata…" Rei asked, confused._

"…_Dragoon?" Kenny finished, echoing Kai._

"_But…mine's the only Dragoon!" Tyson exclaimed emphatically._

"_Correction! Yours used to be the only Dragoon." Daichi stated smugly._

"_You're lying! And you'd better stop before I clock you pal!" Tyson instantly started fuming._

_Daichi continued to taunt Tyson until there was only one thing left in the bluenette's mind – taking this insolent pip-squeak and his false Dragoon down._

I watched Tyson come from behind and kick Daichi's blade out of the dish in typical Tyson style.

But it wasn't over. It should have been, but Daichi pointed out in loud retaliation to Hilary that he didn't come from a place with stadiums or dishes. He played in all of nature. Since his blade was still spinning, he considered the fight still on. Tyson had no choice but to keep going, and it was something of a rare experience for him to blade in the open like this. I watched, wondering if I should step in – but choosing not to because Tyson would never forgive me. Kenny was trying to plot something with that laptop of his, Hilary and Rei were cheering Tyson on, but I just observed, waiting for it. Tyson could do this, I knew. He didn't defeat me, didn't battle such life and death battles like the ones he'd fought against Tala, or Zeo, or any of the other tough challenges he's faced, he didn't win two World titles _all_ on a fluke (no matter what I constantly told him about his damned luck). I did, however, speak up long enough to remind him to stick to his game plan and not get sucked in by Daichi's techniques.

Surprisingly, he actually listened to me. Daichi didn't stand a chance.

In true champion form, Tyson looked around, saw an opportunity, and took the risk necessary to win. He pulled it off admirably.

_"Alright. I knew he had it in him."_ I murmured to myself as I turned and walked away. Daichi was defeated. There was no reason for me to hang around any longer, so I was going home.

Had I stayed, maybe I would have met yet another new foe with real skill…not to mention gotten Max's news about the upcoming World Championships.

Round three was here. It was what could be my last chance to prove not only to myself that I was worthy, but to Tyson as well.

* * *

I caught the announcement from Mr. Dickenson on TV that evening, and the news about the new format of the World circuit this time around intrigued me a little – and the same time disappointed me. I knew I'd be still be fighting with my team, but which of my teammates? It was true that the only person I considered a true rival was Tyson, and it was true that the only person I ever truly worried about losing to was Tyson, but I wasn't so arrogant as to not pay attention to those coming up behind me, those who also had real skill and held a possibility of proving _themselves_ worthy of a rivalry with _me_. And those bladers were my own teammates – Rei and Max. According to the new rules, there was a possibility that they could defeat me or Tyson and somehow end up partnered with one of us and move on to the Championships – or with each other, Kami forbid Tyson and I get beat that badly.

I had no idea what to expect, but I was reasonably certain that it would end up down to myself and Tyson – no matter what else happened. And I could be content with that. There were (in my opinion) no other bladers who could possibly make a better tag-team – if we didn't strangle each other first. We were friends, we were teammates, and I was closer to Tyson than any other human being on earth, but we could scrap like cats and dogs when the occasion rose. It had lessened somewhat over time, but it still happened, on occasion, that we'd rub each other the wrong way and our tempers would flare. Fire and storm…

Phoenix and Dragon.

The parallels were undeniably there, but I didn't pay attention to them. Didn't notice that I'd been ensnared long ago. Temptation and ambition and a fervent desire to prove to someone that you're worthy of everything they've done for you and given to you… Well, I could make excuses until the end of time. The fact remained that my vision of reality was distracted by other things, when my focus should have been on another aspect of our relationship entirely.

I wasn't the only one who discovered a different path for themselves. I ran into both Max and Rei at the BBA main offices two mornings later. It was really early and I'd gone there to see Mr. Dickenson about the upcoming tournament. I stopped in the doorway and raised my eyebrow at the luggage that the genki blonde was sitting on and the bag on the floor beside Rei.

_"What's going on?" I asked, wandering into the room. "Didn't expect to find you two here so early."_

_"Kai!" Max looked up at me, his face brightening a little. Only then did I note that he'd been staring at the floor rather worriedly and almost dejectedly. I frowned._

_"Hey." Rei greeted me with a solemnity that was characteristic of him when he was actually being totally serious. Something was off._

_"So?" I stopped and sat on a bench, watching the two of them curiously._

_"Well…" Max hesitated, glancing at Rei who sighed and slumped a little. "We're both leaving, Kai."_

_My eyebrow shot up again, clearly demanding clarification and explanation in my own silent way. Rei answered._

_"I'm going back to the White Tigers, and Max has been invited to join the All-Stars." He informed me, folding his arms defiantly. "We both have agreed to it. You see…"_

_"We want our chance at the World Championship." Max interrupted, his bright blue eyes fierce and pleading with me to understand. "We are good bladers. We each want to have the chance to be the best…even if it means that we have to go through you, and through Tyson, to do it. We would have been so happy to have been partnered with either of you, Kai, but…"_

_"…But we think that this is the path for us to follow if we want to prove to you and Tyson that we are just as good as you. And that we can be strong bladers without relying on each other. Team work is everything that goes with it has been good for us, we've learned so much…but now it's time for us to branch out on our own. We each have teams that we can lead, that we can teach everything we've learned as Bladebreakers." Rei paused, his own golden eyes daring me to argue with him._

_I just looked at them impassively. They obviously didn't know me well enough to know that of course I understood this. Of course I was going to let them go without a fuss. And of course we'd all still be friends, even if we were about to try and beat each other into the bey-stadium for a title. Standing, I turned to walk out._

_"Kai! Aren't you even going to say something?" Max demanded, sounding very disappointed – and vastly relieved._

_I stopped in the doorway and glanced over my shoulder. "Do whatever you think you need to do. If you think you'll get past me, good luck. Tyson may take some convincing, but I don't. So go. And when it's over…"_

_They exchanged surprised glances, then smiled at me._

_"Thanks, Kai. We're sorry to drop Tyson on you like this. I get the suspicion that he's going to be a handful, once he gets the news…" Rei's face fell._

_I waved over my shoulder, a silent command not to worry about it. I'd kick his ass into understanding if I had to. And I left them standing there, the last time I'd see them again in person until we met up again across the dish, in whichever match of the World Circuit fate dropped us into._

* * *

The morning of our prelim-tournament I was up on the roof of the BBA, feeding a stray cat that had become almost like a pet. I had gotten a tearful phone message from Tyson the night before about Rei and Max's defection. I didn't call him back, however, unsure of how to deal with him when I couldn't understand how he felt. I understood how Rei and Max felt about leaving, but Tyson…couldn't. And I didn't know how to explain it to him without hurting him more.

I sighed, making some comment to myself about how everyone seemed to be against me these days. And suddenly a shadow fell over me, scaring my feline friend off, and an unrecognizable voice telling me that it wasn't entirely true. Some weirdo in a ninja outfit was standing with the sun behind him, telling me that I had to stick with Tyson and hold the team together, that I was the only one left.

Which of course immediately put my back up. No one tells Hiwatari Kai what to do. Absolutely no one. Especially when it comes to blading.

_"The only person who will decide my path is me. **Nobody** else!"_

I looked up at the stranger, ready to fight if I had to, and discovered myself to be alone. Things just don't stay normal in my life.

I shouldn't have been surprised by Tyson's relief when I showed up for the beginning of the tournament – the initial stage that would determine the teams that would battle it out all around the world in a series of tournaments to determine the World Champion. It was painted on his face, and made his voice kind of soft and thick… That was distracting enough, but his words threw me and the undying faith in his eyes as he spoke made my heart palpitate madly, and gave me a curious fluttering sensation in my stomach.

_"Well you sure took your sweet time getting here!" Daichi stated, hands on hips._

_"Just leave the guy alone, will ya, Daichi!" Tyson admonished. "He's here now and that's all that really matters!"_

_"Uh…I'm pretty sure you've never talked about me like that before, and I'm pretty sure I don't like it." Kai kept the blush from his face, but the strange look he gave the bluenette spoke volumes. Tyson just grinned at him, knowing Kai wasn't trying to be grouchy – and that he didn't really mean it._

Daichi entered the prelims, too. I knew he'd at least come in third place – as Tyson had already defeated him, and I knew I could beat him easily if I wanted to. No one else around here was good enough to even be concerned about. And it wasn't only Daichi, it was Kenny, too. Skill-wise, I wasn't worried, but if anyone could come surprise us, it would be the Chief.

I was loathe to admit it, but with Max and Rei leaving to pursue the World title, those same old nagging ambitions of mine were creeping up on me again. Thoughts about beating Tyson were floating around again. I wasn't sure I liked that, so I shoved it to the back of my mind and concentrated on winning my battles – not that it required that much concentration.

At one point, I was walking back toward the locker room intending to sit back and relax before my next battle, but as I approached the door, I stopped at the screaming match Tyson and Daichi were having on the other side, listening intently. Apparently they'd just broke the news to Daichi that if he won his last Block B match (against me, I might add), he didn't go up _against_ Tyson for the tournament, he teamed up _with_ Tyson for the World Circuit. The kid's cries of anguish were enough to pierce my poor ears – and set those stupid thoughts raging again.

_"Don't tell me that! It's not true! It's all lies!" More and more childish statements poured out of Daichi in a supreme tantrum of disappointment, culminating in, **"I want to fight Tyson!"**_

_The others stood around resignedly as he continued to vent. "Who's stupid idea was this anyway? And how can there be more than one World Champion?! That doesn't make any sense at all!"_

_Kai stood just outside the door. He could hear every word clearly. And he couldn't help but agree with Daichi on some level – just not as vocally or childishly._

_"There can only be one Champ!" Daichi yelled at the top of his voice._

_Tyson had enough at that point. He quite firmly told Daichi that he wasn't going to win against Kai, and he wasn't going to be Tyson's partner, so he may as well just give up anyway. It was harsh, but it was true at that point. And Tyson had to rub it in Daichi's face that he and Kai were going to be the next World Champions, hoping the kid would get the picture and lay off._

_Of course, Daichi had a blading spirit that matched Tyson's own, even if neither could see it quite yet. He wasn't about to give up._

_"I'm gonna whip Kai, and then I'm gonna whip you, ya got that?!"_

_"He's not grasping the 'tag-team' concept." Hilary commented as she and Kenny looked on._

Maybe…Daichi had a point. Maybe…I was deluding myself. And maybe…

Damn it! I hated this. I turned and walked back to the stadium as DJ Jazzman came over the intercom and announced the next match - Daichi versus me.

They revealed the dish in the BBA's customary showy way. I could care less. This kid was annoying me even more – if it were possible.

We launched, and Daichi was obviously enjoying himself, as the dish was apparently a replica of the kind of territory Daichi came from and was used to blading in. The advantage was Daichi's – or so it seemed. I sat on the volcano's peak, patiently waiting. I knew that my seeming apathy was worrying Tyson, Hilary, and Kenny up in the stands, watching us battle. And in a way, I couldn't blame him. I wasn't entirely in the game, after all. My thoughts were still raging about what I'd heard them arguing about before.

I heard Tyson yelling at me from the stands, and I knew he was telling me to get with it already. But I wouldn't attack until I was ready, and I'd do it only when I'd come to the decision about whether or not I truly wanted to be on the team, truly wanted to fight alongside Tyson, truly wanted go through yet one more Championship round – or whether I wanted that title for myself badly enough and was willing to fight against Tyson to get it.

Daichi's words kept replaying in my head, over and over again.

There could be only one Champ. But if I wanted to be a World Champion, I had to go through Tyson, not battle with him, and that meant I would have to do something I had vowed (and firmly believed until now) that I would never do again. I would have to betray him. I didn't have to like it, but maybe this time I could finally get this out of my system, and finally put the past and my ambition behind me.

Daichi was right. And I'd made my decision. The roar of a dragon – so like the call of Dragoon as he was about to go on the attack, yet completely different – drew me back into my battle, and I realized I was one hit away from being defeated.

The _hell_ I'd let this little mountain monkey defeat me! I'd show him just how far he had to go to be in the same _league_ as Tyson and myself.

I called out Dranzer with everything I had in me at that moment. It was a quick, destructive, decisive victory. And it took all of two seconds.

I felt a little badly for Daichi, but it would only benefit him in the end.

_"That was one awesome battle, Kai!"_ Tyson gushed at me with typical enthusiasm, excitement, and…pride. Internally I winced, wishing I could beg him not to do this because it was just making it harder on both of us, knowing what I was going to do to him. "_And I knew you'd pull it off! Now it's just you and me, buddy! Off to the World Championships!!!!"_

_"Yeah."_ I couldn't not answer him. But my voice was soft and I'm sure some of the sadness and regret leaked out in it against my will. _"I know."_

Then Mr. Dickenson made another announcement that added another twist. It wasn't just going to be a tag-team event, it was going to be a Round-Robin – with reserve bladers as alternates should either of the main bladers not be able to battle. And the one to choose our alternates was the weirdo in the ninja outfit – who apparently Tyson already had encountered.

Daichi was chosen first. No big surprise there. But the big surprise to everyone was Kenny. The ninja-wannabe, whom Tyson called Jin, picked Kenny to be the second alternate because he had the attitude and spirit of a blader, and the knowledge of how our blades worked that few bladers had.

Once that was settled, Tyson brought up a question that I was quite interested in hearing the answer to, also. Who was this guy, and why was he being put in charge of the team?

Why? Because he was Tyson's older brother, Hiro. Someone Tyson hadn't seen in years, and the someone who had taught Tyson the basics of blading way back when…

Tearful reunions are…messy. And I was happy for Tyson – even though he'd never TOLD us that he had a brother.

But did he have to keep up with the waterworks? Embarrassing…

* * *

Hiro called a meeting and practice session, and both Tyson and Daichi were completely pumped up. They dove into training with a ferocity I'd never seen – particularly out of Tyson. I followed a little more sedately, figuring that even if I wasn't going to stay on the team, I still needed training.

The whole time, Tyson kept making comments about how awesome we were going to be together. Every time it was like a knife stabbing me through the chest repeatedly and guilt threatened to overwhelm me. I wasn't sure I could take much more of it.

We took a break after a while, and watched Rei's prelim battle with Lee. I was impressed. Obviously he was determined to make it to the finals – maybe as determined as I was.

He won, unsurprisingly. But Tyson's enthusiasm got to me. I had another decision to make, and it wasn't easy.

That night I made a difficult phone call. If I was going to attempt to battle my way to the finals and settle my score with Tyson, I needed a team to blade on. And there was only one team I knew would be willing to take me, let alone one that _I_ was willing to blade on (outside of the Bladebreakers).

The Demolition Boys…newly re-named the Blitzkrieg Boys. It had been Tala's idea, now that they were no longer under my Grandfather and Boris' thumbs. But they were still world-class bladers, and capable of participating like any of the other teams we'd met in our adventures. So they were attempting to redeem themselves and show the world they weren't the monsters that the past had tried to make them.

I'd say that pretty much summed up my life, right?

Tala was highly amused to hear from me…but he didn't sound surprised. Not one bit. He said he'd meet me in a couple of days, to finalize the deal and to go to the BBA and register me as a member of the Blitzkrieg Boys. I was to meet him at the Bay City harbour docks.

In the meantime, I would bide my time with the people I would always consider my team. The people I'd consider my friends even if they hated me after this. I…had to let it all go, give it all up. I had to.

* * *

There were a lot of things I regretted in my life. I'd been fortunate enough to have had Tyson to help me to forgive myself and to help me get over some of those regrets. Unfortunately, new ones kept popping up to replace them.

Tyson's brother gave us all a day off, saying he had some plans for special training that he had to arrange. In the meantime, we were to relax. I watched Tyson and the others leave the BBA training facility, and I had to quite literally hold myself back from running after them and throwing away the decisions I'd made to just stick with them and forget about what I really wanted. I hated to do this to him. But if I wasn't doing this just for myself. I was doing it in part for him, because no one would give him a fight like I would. No one could match him or challenge him like I could.

And I knew that once the initial shock of betrayal had been set aside, Tyson would understand, and he would find that I wasn't the only one with a score to settle. He knew, had always known, that I held a small grudge against him for that first Regional tournament where he defeated me. The unknown kid who took down the reigning champ. I'd never had the opportunity for a rematch. This was that opportunity.

I had no choice but to take it.

I'll just keep telling myself that whenever guilt threatened to drown me.

My latest regret would be not attempting to tell Tyson myself, not giving him the courtesy as my teammate – and worse, as the person I was closest to in this world – to tell him I was leaving his team for another in order to battle him in the finals as our other teammates had already done. That I was abandoning him and betraying him.

How could I tell him that, though? How? I came to the conclusion that it was best if I just disappeared. But I'd be watching him closely, because I wanted to know if he was the Champion I saw in him, if he was truly my one and only rival…my one and only everything. This was a test – for both of us.

So it was that I met with Tala and was welcomed back to the fold of the Russian team. And so it was that Hiro, in that weird, enigmatic way of his, somehow knew what had been going through my mind all this time and what I was going to do. Since he knew, there was no need for me to say or do anything else about it.

I left Tyson to the care of his brother, to Hilary and Kenny. And even to Daichi. I hoped someday he'd forgive me.

* * *

I knew he wouldn't take it well. And I expected our first encounter after the fact to be somewhat loud and full of typical Tyson-filled insults and anger and disappointment and…betrayal.

But I had hoped he would _at least_ wait until we were alone to yell and scream at me. Because then I may have screamed and yelled right back. However, he just _had_ to chase me down, and catch up with me when the Tala and the others were right there with me. I couldn't let them know just how much he affected _me_, couldn't let _Tyson_ know, either. So I said nothing while he railed at me in pure fury and was held back by my teammates, and told off by Tala. All I could say to him was typical of me – but totally fake, not that he could see that in his state – and tell him it was nothing personal, but I had a reputation to maintain and I couldn't do it with him.

Inside, I was dying a little with each angry, betrayed word. Outside I was as cold as a block of ice – colder than even one of Wolborg's attacks.

After our first battle (the first leg of the tournament circuit was in America, in Max's home city of New York) and the ensuing drama with Tyson, I needed to get out and get some air. I left our team's hotel room that evening and headed for the roof. It was chilly, and it was quiet – even in a mega-city like New York – and it was just what I needed.

My peace and quiet was shattered, though, when Tala joined me at the edge of the building, sitting down cross-legged on the ledge and staring out at the city below.

_"So are you ever going to tell me why you REALLY left your team?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest. I grunted in a non-committal way. Not very likely, wolf. I thought._

_"You realize I'm not stupid, right? Because as if you left just because you don't think you could make it to the Championships with him. You may have fooled Bryan and Spencer, but not me, Hiwatari. You forget that I know you. Maybe not as well as that blue-haired Dragon of yours, but I know enough to know your motives."_

_"If you know, then why are you asking?"_

_He snarled at me, making me smirk. We totally rubbed each other the wrong way, but we were a decent team. His training – and my own secret, private training – was improving me day-by-day._

_"You are the most infuriating…"_

_"Suck it up, Tala." I sighed, having lost my peace. Surprisingly, I did feel somewhat better. Tyson had taken a big loss today against Lee of White Tiger X, and Rei. He hadn't taken the loss very well. I knew he was still confused and letting it rule him, but I also knew he would eventually find himself again and come back stronger than ever. I would be prepared, and I hoped the other teams would see that, too. Underestimating Tyson was a mistake. "Come on. We need our rest."_

_I heard him follow me, but I mostly ignored his presence._

That night I dreamed. I dreamed of the battle I would one day soon fight against Tyson…but I never saw the result of that battle. It was as if there _was_ no conclusion.

* * *

Battles came and went. My own were nothing worth mentioning, even though Tala and I battled a new team, F-Dynasty. The American leg of the circuit was over, and we were off to Europe. It was there that they announced the next scheduled matches – and guess who our next opponents were. Yep. Tyson and Daichi.

Or so I thought.

The Blitzkrieg Boys and I appeared for the match…but when the BBA Revolution appeared, Tyson was no where in sight. I narrowed my eyes at the group, my focus burning into the elder Kinomiya's head. He was responsible for this, I knew. No one else could keep Tyson from a match – no matter what Tyson's state of mind was. I could hear – barely – the conversation going on over there, and everything I heard was only succeeding in pissing me off. I knew Tyson was probably off somewhere absolutely fuming.

I also felt horribly sorry for poor Kenny. This was his first official tournament battle for his team. And what a way to make your entrance as a blader, and not just the brains behind the scenes – against Tala, of all bladers. I wouldn't have admitted it aloud, but had it been me he faced, I'd probably have gone easy on him. I wouldn't have let him win, of course, but I would have gone easy.

Tala would not, and did not.

But I needn't have worried. Kenny managed to surprise us all, even me. He fought valiantly, with pure and true loyalty to his team and most especially to Tyson. I hid a smile as he actually gave Tala a bit of trouble. _You go, Chief. Show him you weren't a Bladebreaker all this time for nothing, even if you never spun a blade yourself_. I told him silently in approval.

He didn't fail me.

When it was my turn, I went up to the dish and glared hard at the man who called himself a coach. How dare he deprive me of the opportunity to take on Tyson? I didn't care if Tyson was having a crisis – I wanted to test for myself where he was at and compare myself to him, so that I had a clue as to how work I was going to need for the finals. And how dare Hiro put his nose in my business like this.

I'd already had my battle with Daichi. I had no wish to have another. So I threw my match – and made a blatant statement of disapproval and annoyance at the same time. It looked like a freak accident, but I knew perfectly well Hiro knew it was no accident that my blade just happened to hit Daichi's in such a way off the launch that it ricocheted towards his head, just missing him by little more than a few inches. Cool as a clam, he didn't flinch, didn't even move, and I recalled Dranzer with a thought.

Tala gave me hell for it – he wasn't stupid, and knew that had been deliberate – but I ignored him, and he didn't press the issue. Instead, he went up against the mountain monkey for the first time… in a tie-breaker, since he barely defeated Kenny in the match after mine and Daichi's.

It's a wonderful thing to see someone find their rival. As Tyson was my rival, my goal in everything, my _reason_ for everything, so to did Daichi become Tala's. Okay, maybe that's exaggerating more than a little, but the rivalry was there. Tala thinks I didn't notice, but I did. Just as my energy was devoted to meeting Tyson in the finals, so was Tala's to meeting Daichi after that battle. I was highly amused by it all.

Tyson suddenly appeared at the sidelines, making a big fuss. I was relieved to see him, relieved to see that he had indeed found himself again and hadn't abandoned his teammates.

After all…that was my thing, not his. _He_ would never do that.

* * *

Sunny Spain. It was a beautiful country, and one that we had never been to yet. It was the next stage of the circuit, and things had begun to heat up in the standings.

Oddly enough, this time I could sit back and relax somewhat. The other teams didn't worry me all that much, and the likelihood that I would be facing Tyson any time soon was pretty slim.

Well, I suppose I should be somewhat worried about my upcoming match with Max. I knew he was no slouch, even though most tended to underestimate him, and often considered him the weakest blader of all of us Bladebreakers. In some ways this was true. But on the other hand, if you underestimated him, he could and would walk all over you. He was smart, he was quick (when he wanted to be), and his defense was nearly iron-clad. He'd gained the experience over the years we had bladed together

The crowd was less than charitable about their feelings toward the PPB All-Starz when Max and Rick walked out into the stadium, after the mishap they'd had with Barthez' Battalion – the team that had come out of nowhere and defeated the Majestics, completely shocking the rest of the blading world. Of course, the crowd couldn't know that there had been some illegal goings-on during that match, and that what had happened had _not_ been Rick's doing, but a ploy by Barthez, that team's coach, to win the sympathy of the fans and build support for his team. It was a dirty trick, and while Max and Rick were unable to do anything about it (not that the big guy seemed to care one way or the other), let alone anyone else, I knew that Tyson would teach Miguel and his team a lesson when they finally met up in the dish. So I wasn't going to do anything about it either.

Except for this crowd…

**_"SILENCE!"_** I raised my voice over the boos and jeers coming from the crowd. Sometimes, it's nice to be feared and revered, because I got instant, shocked silence. I didn't say much, after all, so when I did, people tended to listen – particularly when I was mad.

**_"Show respect for our opponents or else!"_** I threw out the warning, glaring around at the fans in the stadium, then glanced at Max opposite me over the dish. We exchanged a look, and he smiled at me. He understood me. I hoped Tyson and the others, and Rei (wherever he was) were all watching and I was certain that if they were, then they understood, too. The masses are asses, as Toynbee once said. I wasn't surprised when things remained relatively subdued and quiet after that.

I was right about one thing, Max was no slouch. And if I had underestimated him, I would have lost. And this battle, too, was a rematch in the making. The last time I had battled Max in an official tournament, I had won, but that match had been the one where he'd gained Draciel, and when he'd proven to be someone to look out for. He'd given me somewhat of a challenge back then and he did not disappoint me this time either.

It looked like he'd finally gotten the hang of battling as a blader chosen by one of the Four Sacred Spirits. I knocked Draciel out, in the end, and we exchanged nods and smiles – since I wasn't going to say a thing, and really, I didn't need to. That's what happens when you spend three years (give or take) practically a part of someone, which is one of the reasons the Bladebreakers were always so strong and achieved so much. We were four parts of a whole, in a way. We were…Bladebreakers.

Then Tala, the fool, underestimated Rick's power, and lost his match. Which left me battling with Rick for a tie-breaker. Yeesh. The arrogance of this guy was going to earn him a lesson, compliments of Dranzer and I.

I did it by demonstrating why I was as good as I was. I took the techniques that Max had developed and used them myself on Rick. I know I shocked a few people, not the least of whom were my former teammates. I could feel approval from the fans in the stands. And I knew, if I looked, I'd find Tyson up there watching. Somehow, irrational as it was, I could feel him, and in a way it was soothing. He was still mad at me, I'm sure, but I knew he was beginning to put it behind him and look forward.

And that is exactly how I wanted it.

Oh, and I was also on the money about Tyson teaching Miguel and his team a lesson in good blading and fair-play. He hadn't lost his blading spirit, and he was fully prepared to show Miguel where he was going wrong, and teach him to find that spirit in himself and fight for it.

Just one of the many things I respect and admire about Tyson, and one of the many things he had to teach _me_, once upon a time…

A lesson well learned.

* * *

I don't know what's up with the BBA, but damn. Do they _have_ to keep picking these hot countries to go to? First Spain, now Egypt! It's a really good thing I do well with the heat. My teammate, on the other hand…

_"Ugh…" Tala groaned, dragging himself into the hotel room we shared and dropping onto a bed. "Thank god for air conditioning."_

_I just snickered and pulled out my blade kit to clean up Dranzer. "You're pathetic. You'd better get used to this heat, Tala, if you expect to be able to blade and win."_

_"Not all of us are immune to any kind of weather like you, Hiwatari." He grouched, rolling onto his side and giving me his back. "Go soak your head. Which of us is team Captain?"_

_"Who cares? Like I take orders from you anyway." I pointed out, buffing my attack ring after checking it out thoroughly for damages._

_"Yeah, yeah… And if you weren't as good as you are, I wouldn't put up with it either. I'd kick your ass." Tala gave me an icy glare and got up, going to his bag to dig out clean clothes. "I'm taking a shower. You should get ready for the welcome supper tonight."_

_"You could always try." I commented absently. "And I will later. We have plenty of time."_

_He shook his head at me and walked by on the way to the bathroom. Pausing, he stopped and stared down at me. "Kai…when are you going to get over your obsession with beating Tyson? Don't get me wrong. I understand wanting to face him again and have the chance to beat him, because I'm no different. But…it wouldn't be the end of my world if it never happened."_

_I slowly raised my gaze to him, my eyes full of 'back off' and 'don't talk about what you don't understand.'_

_"Don't give me that glare, either. I'm becoming quite immune to your attempts at intimidation."_

_"Look, just stay out of it. This is something I need to do, and I'll do whatever I have to. I'm winning my matches, Tala, so you have nothing to complain about." I narrowed my eyes at him. "Go shower."_

_"You know what? I don't know why I bother." Tala turned on his heel and stalked into the bathroom with a huff. I smiled and went back to cleaning my blade. I knew he meant well, and he was concerned. Tala had slowly been regaining his humanity, as well as his blading spirit, thanks to the encounter he'd had with us in that first World Championship. He took being captain very seriously, and for all that we weren't exactly friendly most of the time, we were…not friends exactly, but as close as it got to it._

The next day we had a match with Barthez' Battalion. Tala defeated Aaron in the first round, and I went up against Miguel – who switched with Claude at the last minute against Barthez' wishes – in the second round. It was an easy win, but it was a fair one. No tricks were attempted, and they stood up to their coach, firing him. The crowd cheered for Miguel, even though he lost, and it was good to hear. He deserved it.

* * *

Battles continued on, and the standings grew ever more intense and cut-throat. The last leg of the Round Robin tournament was taking place Down Under, as they say, in Australia. I'd watched Tyson grow with every challenge, every battle he faced. And here it was no different. He faced a crisis – from what I could tell of the brief times I saw him, either around the stadium or on TV. The pressure of being the twice-over World Champion, working his way toward a three-peat, was beginning to take its toll on him.

Ayers rock. An ancient, aboriginal sacred site. In a way, it became somewhat sacred to us as well.

Something was buzzing in my mind, something old and powerful. It's call was pulling me to that heap of stone out in the middle of nowhere, and I followed it. Tala watched me leave, demanding explanations, but I told him to just worry about himself and the rest of the team, and leave me alone. He backed off reluctantly, since he really couldn't stop me when it got down to it.

I took a bus as far as the tourists were allowed to go, since one couldn't just go climb the famous landmark anymore. But that never stopped me, especially when I was being called there. I slipped past the security, snuck up the winding path to the top, and stood there staring out at the wide, wild expanse of country surrounding the mountain of red rock. There was an odd pedestal-type alter there, but I couldn't read the inscriptions or decipher the symbols on it so I ignored it.

I wasn't there long when Rei appeared. Then I realized why this place was so significant, and what it was that had called us here. It wasn't the rock itself, it was our Sacred Spirits. We were of the Four, after all, and our connection surpassed everything, including the bonds of a normal team.

_"Kai! Hey, man, you're here, too? For Tyson, right?" Rei greeted and walked up to me. I was leaning against the alter with my arms folded over my chest and one ankle crossed over the other. "How did you know to come here?"_

_"I don't think so." I'd deny that adamantly, even though it was more than the truth. Not that I could fool Rei. "Dranzer." I answered his second question, shrugging. Rei nodded._

_"Yeah. I didn't figure it out until I was half-way up the mountain, but Driger was urging me to come here, too." The raven-haired blader folded his arms. "What do you suppose it's all about?"_

_I shook my head. "I'm sure we'll find out, though."_

_"I don't know. Do you think something happened to Tyson? Or Dragoon?" Rei frowned, worrying his bottom lip in concern._

_I frowned at that idea myself, turning to face the sun._

_"I don't know. But hopefully when he gets here, we can find out."_

_It was nearing sunset when Max joined us. He waved happily at us, approaching at a run. We greeted him, and went back to the task of waiting._

_Rei looked off toward the direction of the buses and tourists down below. "I have to admit, I'm anxious to see him again. I've been worried about how he's handling the pressure lately. It's been like he's lost his purpose for blading."_

_"Yeah. I'm worried about him, too." Max agreed._

I said nothing, but I was worried more than they were. I knew what being a champion was like, after all, but they didn't. Not like Tyson and I did. And this time there was a considerable degree more of pressure on him to take the title for a third time. He was doing it without the team he'd come to know, trust, and rely on. Now he was leading his team on his own, without our support. Anyone would quake under those conditions, even me.

But like I said, I'd never admit such a thing. I do have an image to keep.

We waited for hours. I don't know why we didn't leave after a while, but something was holding us there, hoping – almost desperately – that Tyson would show and everything would make sense to us.

I was beginning to believe that maybe he wouldn't show, that he finally had reached a limit to his abilities to cope with the pressure of being a celebrity and the pressures that came with the responsibilities he now held for his team and the sport.

_"I came to meet Tyson, too, but I guess he's not coming." Max stated at one point, sighing in defeat. "I suppose he as too much to worry about as World Champion to meet with us anymore."_

_The three of us were watching the sun set, still waiting. But even our patience only went so far._

_"I don't know what's wrong with him! I wanted him in top condition." Rei clenched his fists in bitter disappointment, and I didn't blame him. I knew what he felt like, since the same ideas were going through my own mind._

_"Yes." Max agreed. "But…I'm sure he'll be fine." He looked up at Rei._

_"Yeah, you're right. Tyson will get over this in his own way."_

_"If he's a true champion, he will." Kai stated, adding his two-cents in. He didn't doubt for a minute that Tyson would let him down. He couldn't, and Kai wouldn't let him._

The sun was blazing familiar shades of reds, oranges, and golds, and turning the sky into a riot of colour as evening fell when the last member of our group finally came running up the side of the mountain, a fierce determination I hadn't seen in ages on his face and in his stormy blue eyes.

Relief was a soothing balm to my nerves when I saw it. He was back. My eternal rival had found himself again and he was back.

He stopped in front of us, breathing a little hard from the run and the climb. His eyes landed on each of us, stopping on me and holding steady. I returned the gaze, letting him know he had my total, undivided attention. When Tyson spoke, the determination there rang in my head like a bell. _"There's something I need to tell you guys, okay? I…I am a blader first, and a champion second. Rei, Kai, Max…"_ he pulled out his launcher and blade, preparing it for a launch. _"From now on…I'm the challenger!"_ He launched his blade with ferocity and I don't think any of us could hold back a smile. _"Just like you guys!"_

Rei and Max laughed, delighted to see our friend back as Dragoon blasted through solid rock and demonstrated that Tyson was indeed back on his game.

_"Nothing to worry about."_ Max glanced at Rei, who returned the glance in relief.

_"Nope. Nothing."_

Each of us stepped up to that pedestal-alter, and the symbolism wasn't lost on any of us. Four bladers, four elements, four sacred spirits, standing at the exact points around the alter that marked the four directions of a compass. We may have been on different teams, battling on our own terms against one another, but we were still **One**. Still Bladebreakers.

_"As far as I'm concerned, any one of us could win this championship."_ Tyson stated. _"But you're going to have to bring your best, because you're going to have to go through **me** to get it."_

There was silence after Tyson's words. And really…nothing any of us could say to that. We stared at each other around the alter, the sunset blazing behind me, the wind picking up around Tyson, the clouds gathering overhead and the scent of on-coming rain in the air from Max's direction, and the red, red earth under Rei's feet, appearing even more scorched from the sunset. In silent agreement, we turned and left that sacred spot as one, each going off in our own direction.

As I walked away, I added to Tyson's declaration in my head. _Rei…you'll have to go through me to get to Tyson, and I don't plan on losing. Good luck in your own battle with Tyson, Max. You've earned it_.

The real battle would start now. Everything that came before…was little more than a prelude. Now…the gloves were coming off.

* * *

I sat in the team booth with Bryan and Spencer watching Tala and Lee battle it out. I wasn't sure what was up with Rei's old friend these days, but he wasn't blading like he should have been for someone of his skill and power. He hadn't been blading as expected the entire tournament, in fact. I knew Tala was a tad frustrated with the lack of competition, and I couldn't blame him. At least he had Daichi to look forward to, eventually.

For me…I was preparing myself for the next match, which would be against Rei. I had never fought him myself, not one-on-one in an official match like this before. Training sessions aside, I didn't know what to expect this time around. I knew he'd be tough, and I'd have my work cut out for me, but I was confident that I could defeat him. I had to, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Tala drove Lee's blade right out of the dish and took a victory. He came to the bench and looked down at me. _"Are you ready to beat the best of White Tiger X, Kai? Kai? **Kai**!?"_ I ignored him, remembering the training I had put myself through in Russia in order to develop a new, incredibly powerful attack that I'd been saving for just such an occasion as this.

I stood and slowly walked up to the dish, waiting for Rei. I hoped the others were watching again, because I wanted Tyson to see how determined I was, how badly I wanted to face him, and how far I was willing to go to do it. And As Rei approached from the other side, I kept my gaze somewhat neutral. In a way, I was a little miffed at him for leaving Tyson as he had – Max, too, but not as much as Rei. I don't know why, but somehow Rei's defection had irked me.

_No matter who gets in my way…I **will** be victorious!_

We went at that battle like there was no tomorrow, like it was life and death. Neither of us were willing to back down or cease pushing ourselves as hard as we had to. I took out the bamboo rods that were placed all over the dish, leaving crumbled debris in my wake and no where for Rei to hide, then proceeded to go after him almost viciously. He was no better in his attacks on me. Rei gave as good as he was given.

Half-way through our battle, we were both showing signs of the strain and of how tired we were becoming. We had been expending our energy almost recklessly, it seemed, hoping to make this quick and take victory before the other knew what had happened. Only we were too evenly matched, and it wasn't turning out that way at all.

The only difference between us was the level of our confidence in ourselves, and the fact that (in my mind, anyway) I wanted it more. I wanted this victory more than Rei did.

Simple as that.

One massive explosion later, I was still on my feet and Dranzer was still spinning in the dish, while Rei was face down across from me – though Driger was still spinning strong. Very well…if he just wouldn't lie down and accept his defeat, I'd have to force him to do so.

I waited patiently for Rei to find the strength to get up again and keep going. And when he did, he earned a great deal of respect from me for it, because not many were willing to go that far to try and beat me.

Ouch. He sent Dranzer slamming into the side of the dish in front of me, forcing me to go down on one knee to keep myself and my blade anchored in the dish and still in the game. Okay, so he wanted to play rough? I'll give him rough. "_You'll have to do better than that, Rei_." I stood up.

"_Don't tempt me, Kai. Don't tempt me."_ Rei was staring at me somewhat shocked, and at the same time not really. That attack of his…I think he may have had issues with how I'd left Tyson, just as I did him. Oh well. Neither of us had the right to throw stones on that issue.

I raised a hand, reaching up to pull off the scarf from around my neck – the one I wore for weight training. It landed with a thunk! of sound and took a piece out of the floor. Ahhh…much better. I cracked my knuckles and began to centre myself for the attack, while we waited for word from the judges as to whether or not they would end the match for a clean up/repair break.

No such thing. It was on, and Rei and I didn't waste any time pussy-footing around. The problem was…there was one thing that Rei had on me in skill. Speed. And he was most definitely proving it with this initial move. Unfortunately for him, I was beginning to figure out where his blade was by sound and the evidence of his passage that was left behind. Put the two together, and I was almost able to actually see his blade again, which was enough for me to unleash some tricks of my own. I stopped his blade in its tracks with some well-placed feathers. I sent Dranzer after Driger with pure force and fury, and Rei's blade went flying. I'd won the match – but it was hard won. I recalled Dranzer, feeling a little dizzy and wobbly on my feet, and turned to get the hell out of there before I collapsed.

_"Kai!"_ Rei's voice made me pause.

_"Yeah, Rei?"_ I managed to ask in a steady voice.

_"I wish you good luck…in the finals."_

_"Thanks."_ I smiled to myself, and continued on toward the exit, ignoring Tala and the other two.

Once I'd managed to get out of sight, I let myself fall into the wall and propped it up for a while, breathing heavily and trying to regain enough of my strength to get through the rest of the day without appearing as if I'd just come out on the wrong side of a battle. I looked down at my blade, my hand shaking slightly. Gods. If Tyson was more powerful than Rei had been…I was almost ready to face him. But now I had a really good idea just how much work I had yet to do, so let my head fall back against the wall and my eyes close.

* * *

The next match was going to be a big one, a match I wouldn't miss for the world. I had handled Max fairly well, but now…it was Tyson's turn. They hadn't faced each other in an official match before, either, so this was going to be just as interesting as my own had been against Rei – to hear those two announcer guys tell it. Koala Dome? Who the hell came up with these lame names anyway?

I sat up in the stands with my team, exhausted but way too keyed up to be somewhere recovering when I had to watch this battle. Grudge match indeed. Not to mention decisive. Both Max's team and Tyson's were tied in the standings, and this match would determine who went on to the finals.

And thus…faced me.

Daichi was up first against Rick, and as he reached the dish, he glanced over directly at where we were sitting, and grinned at Tala – much to my vast amusement. I fought not to snicker at his expression, though he did give me a side-glower in warning anyway.

The match started up and those two wasted less time than Rei and I did. At one point, I heard someone in the stands nearby ask if anyone else smelled something burning.

_"Huh…I can smell it, too. Must be from the friction of their blades."_ Tala commented, watching the match closely with more interest than I'd seen him display in anything for a long time.

The force of their blades and the vibrations of their blades grinding at each other busted right through the bridge across the middle of the dish where they'd been fighting. They kept up the momentum, though, and soon they were cracking right through the dish itself. It was amazing, really. Powerhouses in their own right. I threw a quick glance at Tala, and hoped he knew what he was getting into if he went up against Daichi in the finals.

Daichi's last attack cut right into Rick's and sent his blade shooting up into the air, taking out a light way up in the ceiling of the stadium. He'd taken Rick down, and it was up to Max if the All-Starz wanted to stay in the tournament – and vice-versa, it was up to Tyson. I watched Daichi collapse in exhaustion, knowing exactly how he felt.

While Rei and I had been mostly evenly matched, with somewhat similar styles of blading (mine was power and endurance, while his was speed and balance), Tyson and Max's skills were also evenly matched – but their styles were the polar opposite of each other. Max was a defensive blader, while Tyson was all about pure offense power. This was a clash of the titans, and had I been a nervous person, I'd have been sitting on the edge of my seat, clutching the seat in front of me with white-knuckled hands and biting my nails off.

But I'm not, so I just watched with an unreal intensity.

Then too, if I believed in signs…then the stadium they fought on was a big one. Ayers rock. My eyes widened, and I could see the shock and dismay on Max and Tyson's faces.

This battle was insanely intense, just from watching in the stands. I couldn't imagine what it was like for my friends down there at the dish. And then Max pulled something I hadn't expected. He had learned from me in our battle, and the battle I fought with Rick, and switched his style in the middle of the battle by going on the offensive with Tyson. Once again I had to readjust my view of the blonde kid. There were few bladers who could do that and not screw it up, and he'd just shown me he was one of them. A faint smile crossed my face as Tyson looked like he wanted to kick something. I think he wasn't expecting that move of Max's either, but he didn't let it phase him for long. He just did what he does best – fight back with everything he has.

I watched with no small amount of awe as Tyson unleashed a windstorm unlike anything I'd seen from him before. He was trying his very best to push Draciel and Max out of the dish with just the pure force of that wind. Amazed by that, but even more so that Max was holding out against it and then actually _advancing_ forward on Dragoon… Phew. That was just way too close a call.

Max's strategy shouldn't have surprised me. He always was a fantastic strategist when it came to blading. He pretty much led Tyson around the dish by the nose the entire time…until the final moments when Tyson proved why he was a two-time World Champion.

He rode out Draciel's Gravity Control like a surfer rides the waves, and when the time was right, he unleashed Dragoon's Galaxy Storm and that was the end of that. I felt badly for Max, but at the same time was rather proud of him. He'd definitely proven himself out there.

And Tyson had done what I need him to do – win that match and advance to the finals. Expectations fulfilled, I left the stadium fully satisfied with the outcome. There was only one team left standing in the way of our battle – F-Dynasty.

* * *

The last leg of the tournament was returning to the home of the World Champion…back to where it all began. There's an irony in that, I suppose. Returning to Bay City was a relief to me, in a way. No matter what happened here this time, I knew that the probability of my career as a blader continuing was fairly slim. After this…I would probably retire from active tournaments and competitions. I'd never stop blading _completely_, of course, but no more competitions.

Maybe I could finally have a real life, and maybe…something would change enough in my life that I could be around Tyson without feeling like I didn't belong there, wasn't worthy to be there.

A press conference was held to announce how the three remaining teams were going to battle it out for the title. BBA Revolution was going to have to face F-Dynasty, since they were tied for the other spot in the finals. Not surprisingly (to me at least), Tyson and Daichi declared that they wanted a tag-team match against the brother-sister duo, and they accepted. I had been watching Tyson and Daichi all this time, and I had seen his improvement, their team improvement, and with that degree of it, I was sure they could be more than a match tag-team style for F-Dynasty.

They had better be, at least, because if Tyson screwed this up I was going to kick his ass from here to the moon.

I watched their match from the locker room with Tala, and I don't know why I bothered to worry at all. For a brief moment it looked like Tyson and Daichi were going to fall into the same trap they had the last time they'd fought F-Dynasty, but then they pulled a fantastic feint and totally blew the twins away.

Now that it was official, there was nothing standing between me and my ultimate goal, the one thing I believed I wanted in life more than anything.

It's you and me, Tyson, in the re-match of epic proportions.

* * *

Maybe I'm a fool. I had an advantage and I threw it away. But...all I wanted was an official match with Tyson, on a level playing field all the way around, and that included the fact that he hadn't had enough time to rest and heal up from his last match before he faced me. My honour wouldn't allow that condition to interfere. So to level things between us, I asked Bryan and Spencer for a little assistance while Tala went out and attempted to win the first round against Daichi. I was sorry that I wasn't going to be watching and wasn't going to be there in support of him (he was my teammate, after all), but this was what I had to do.

So when I stepped out into the stadium, somewhat bruised and beaten up, the odd scrape and gash here and there, my energy depleted just enough to match what I estimated Tyson's to be, I was totally prepared for the upcoming battle. I could see the surprise and the admiration that shone in Tyson's eyes as I approached, and the disbelief that I'd throw away an advantage like that, even if I did have my pride. He gave me a rueful smile and shook his head minutely, as if to say, "_You're nuts, Hiwatari, but I knew you wouldn't let me down even with everything that's happened_."

Apparently while I'd be evening the score, Tala and Daichi had tied their match. Which left Tyson and I to battle for the title. I don't think there's any way it could have been any more perfect.

_"So Kai…you up for this?" Tyson asked, eyeing the damage Kai displayed._

_"Of course. And…I've brought a friend." Kai showed Tyson his blade._

_"No way!" Tyson blinked. It was a new Dranzer blade. Kenny and Hilary were a little surprised, but Hiro wasn't. He understood what Kai had done._

_"You're not the only one who has already battled today, Tyson."_

_"You?" Tyson's face became quite serious. "I see."_

_From nearby in the stands, Kai could hear Gramps – barely. But he was strangely honoured by the Elder Kinomiya's comments._

_"Heh. For such a moody guy, Kai sure has class. That dude just earned my respect. I hope Tyson appreciates it." The old man stood up and yelled down at his grandson. "Tyson! Kai evened up the score 'cause he wants a challenge from you! Don't disappoint him, yo!"_

_"I'm ready when you are!" Tyson declared, getting out his blade and launcher, prepping them for the battle. "I may not have a fancy new Dranzer like you, but that's fine with me 'cause my trusty Dragoon has never let me down!"_

_Before they could get started, however, Mr. Dickenson revealed a new, special dish just for this battle. Both bladers stared at the field they'd been given – one square mile of wilderness – the crowds gasped in awe and excitement._

_"Hmm…perfect." Kai smiled, looking across the expanse of the stadium dish at his opponent. Tyson looked back, a smile of his own crossing his face._

_"Kai!"_

_"You want to get started, right?" Kai acknowledged, getting out his own blade and launcher._

Right off the launch, things got amazingly intense and wild. The blades collided without even hitting the ground first, and the shockwave was enough to make everyone present wince, and even Tyson and I had to take a bracing step back from the pressure. But it didn't deter us for long. Every time our blades hit, the shockwaves that flew off the collision were thick enough to make the ground shake and the air harder to breathe.

We kept trying to gain an advantage, doing our best to ignore the shocks and keep on attacking each other with ferocity. I could feel in every hit in my bones, and in those hits there was a tinge of anger. I didn't blame him for it. And I was glad that he was taking it out on me in the way that we both needed – in this beybattle.

Whoa! I went down on one knee after the last shockwave, wondering if maybe I did screw up and I should have thrown my pride out the window… Then Tyson was calling out to me from across the dish.

_"Kai!"_

I looked up and saw his blade spinning toward me and kicking up a great deal of dust from the dish's landscape. He came at me and I stood up in a hurry, sending Dranzer flying up in the air to counter his attack.

_"I'm not out yet!"_

Dranzer dive-bombed Dragoon, forcing up boulders and chunks of earth all around Dranzer. Tyson blinked in relief, as Dragoon had barely managed to avoid that one.

_"I gotta admit, Kai. I definitely didn't see that coming. But now it's my turn!"_

_"You've played right into my hands!"_ I grinned.

_"It was a trap?"_ I saw the slight panic cross his face.

My attack broke the plank he stood on across from my own perch above the dish below, and he fell with the debris. He got up again quickly enough, so I didn't waste time worrying about whether or not he was okay after that fall. He looked up at me and grinned a little.

_"That blast took a chunk out of the beystadium, and it didn't even slow Dragoon down. Is that the best you've got, Kai?"_

_"Not by a long shot."_ I replied. _"You should have stayed down while you had the chance! **Go, Dranzer!!**"_ I went on the attack again, but Tyson put up quite a fight. I had to admire how he used everything he'd learned over his battles from the other teams he'd fought, and how he was using them against me.

My blade ricocheted off a rock after being picked up and tossed away by Tyson's storm attack that he'd picked up from Daichi, and the storm engulfed the plank that I was standing on. Down I went, joining my rival in the dish itself. Ouch…that smarts.

I got to my feet in time to see Tyson bring out one of F-Dynasty's attacks next, making Dragoon fly up in the air and drop down onto mine, spinning on top of Dranzer. I wouldn't let him get away with that. I spun my blade just a little bit faster and booted Dragoon off of it.

The battle continued with me ferociously attacking and Tyson barely escaping. From up in the stands, I could feel a sudden wave of understanding coming from the other two members of my former team. Internally, I smiled. They finally get it. They finally get that this battle is the one I've waited for, prepared for, my entire life. Now…Tyson was the only one left to figure it out.

_"I've traveled a long road to get here, Tyson. **This** is my life's work. Everything I've seen, and everything I've done…it all starts and ends with you. From the first time you defeated me, I've known it. I've watched you grow ever since. Sometimes you won, sometimes lost, but you always persevered. No matter how bad things got, you always looked deep inside yourself and found the strength to continue. And when a member of the team fell, it was you who was always there to pick him back up. When I realized I could never be like you…the only thing left for me was to defeat you. Only then would I have complete faith in my own skill and strength. I had no choice but to find a way to win. No matter what the cost to myself… _

"_That's why I **had** to leave the team. That's why I trained with Dranzer in the frozen tundra of Russia. And that's why I chose Tala as my partner when he would much rather battle solo. I hid myself away in extreme isolation, forced to survive in the most hostile environment I could find. I gave up **everything** from my old life…and dedicated myself to training in mind and body. To become the ultimate Beyblading machine. Sometimes things got so bad that I was ready to throw in the towel. But I just pictured you, Tyson, and it all came flooding back."_

_Kai made eye contact with Tyson and stood tall and proud as he spoke. "I learned that no matter how tall the wall stands, there's always a way to knock it down to size!" Dranzer rose up from his blade in a fury of flame, and Tyson braced himself, preparing for the attack._

We attacked each other again, and it was wickedly intense. The shockwaves were pouring off our grinding blades in never-ending, continuous flows, and it was getting harder and harder for us to stay on our feet. But we did it. _This_ was the battle I wanted. _This_ was the battle I'd been dying for. All our strength and skill pitted against each other in a dance-like fight. Neither of us letting up, pounding on each other to the best of our abilities.

Finally, I pulled a rabbit out of my hat and unleashed it on Tyson. I reversed the spin of my blade, countering the force of Tyson's blade and thus, neutralizing it. Everything suddenly just stopped – the wind, the flames, the shockwaves, all of it – but our blades kept on spinning. Tyson and I exchanged grins and the crowd watched, stunned. I knew perfectly well that no one had ever seen anything like this battle.

Then the fight turned physical. Now it was as if we were physically fighting each other as well as the battle with our blades. I pushed him, he pushed back, we ground at each other with a ridiculous force that threatened to destroy the entire stadium. We kept it up, and around us there was a strange silence as everyone watched in awe.

And then…I let go of any restraints I had on Dranzer at the same time Tyson did the same to Dragoon, and the resulting explosion of pure power – flame versus storm – blasted upward and took out the majority of the stadium's roof, and I'm sure it threatened a few satellites in orbit, too. But Tyson and I were nearly unaware of it. We'd both been knocked out for a moment with the explosion.

Even that wasn't enough to keep us down. We slowly – albeit painfully – shoved ourselves up and to our feet again, swaying just a little. Our blades had stopped, and it appeared as if it had happened at the same time. So no decision made.

We took a breather as we waited for the judges to tell us what was going to happen next. Would we be allowed to continue?

I didn't care. We were doing this. Screw the judges. Tyson and I prepared for another launch, and I could tell he felt the same. Off came my scarf once again. Time for extremes.

Then came Mr. Dickenson's announcement: we were both to be declared the winner of the tournament and to share the title, and the battle was declared over by a draw.

Anger was righteous and raw. No _way_ was he doing this to me. "**_NO WAY_**."

_"Huh?"_ Mr. Dickenson looked down at me from the nearly destroyed judges booth high above the dish.

_"You can't do that to me!"_ I absolutely fumed. _"Are you telling me that his whole tournament has just been a complete joke?! That everything we've done so far doesn't count because you decided we get punished for working hard?!"_

_"Kai, please!"_ Mr. Dickenson tried placating me. But it wasn't going to work. _Nothing_ would satisfy me but the continuation of this battle.

_"All I'm asking for is the chance to decide this in the beystadium! Winner? If that's what you want, then you can have it! All I want is to settle my battle with Tyson."_ I turned my furious, hard glare on Tyson. _"What about you, Tyson? How do you want to settle this?"_

_"Well…"_

_"I can't believe you'd want to leave this at a draw, either, especially being the defending Champ and all. Well? What do you say?"_

_"Well, I…"_ Tyson sighed and flashed a small grin at me. _"I say we finish this!"_ He turned to look up at the judges and pled his case – and was supported in full voice beginning with our teammates up in the stands. Rei and Max lent their voices to our cause, and the rest of the teams present, as well as the crowd itself followed.

In the end…Mr. Dickenson really had no choice.

Everyone in the stadium counted us down, and with a fierce launch, Tyson – my eternal rival and closest friend – and I went back to the business of trying to bring about a final defeat to it.

And I thought the last round had been like a physical fight. This time it was very much like that.

I didn't know what he was up to, but I had to admit he was pretty damned tough.

Something strange was happening the longer and harder we fought. It was almost like I could feel him inside of my head, inside my very soul, and there was some weird connection between us – even stranger was that it felt so familiar. What _was_ this?

Time seemed to stop in its tracks. I could still hear our blades clashing, could still hear the faint roar of the fans around us. But I felt like I was floating, and now I really could hear Tyson in my head…

"_This is really weird! It's like I can sense Kai's every move! No matter from where or how intense his attack is, Dragoon seems to be able to read it and put up a defense."_

I blinked, shocked.

"_I don't know what's going on here, Kai…it's like I'm suddenly psychic."_

_"Man, that's freaky. I was just thinking the same thing."_

_"Freaky or not, I came here to win, and that's what I'm going to do! The plan was to three-peat as World Champion, and I've come too far to let anyone or anything stand in my way. That means you're going down, Kai! I know we used to be teammates, and even now I don't look at you as my enemy. You're just another guy standing in my way to get to the top. So when it's all said and done, all I want is for you to think that I beat you fair and square, Kai."_ Tyson looked deeply into my eyes and smiled at me – and it hit me just how much I'd missed him. _"Sorry. But I gotta get this battle over with. No big deal…it's just that I suddenly realized that going up against you is kinda cool, Kai, 'cause we both get so into it. When we fight, I completely zone out. I just love that feeling!"_

_"I know!"_ I couldn't help but agree with him. After all…wasn't that why I was here? _"I feel the same way."_ I smiled back at him.

There it was again! That fluttering in my stomach, the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears… What was this emotion? It couldn't be what I thought it was…could it?

I didn't have time to consider it. The scenery shifted suddenly, and we were surrounded by stars and light.

_"When I battle against you Tyson, it's like I forget where I am because the competition is so intense."_ I stared at him. _"I'm serious. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to lie down and let you win."_

_"I…wouldn't have it any other way."_

We stared at each other, savouring the connection, trying to grasp the reality of our situation and wrap our heads around it. And when we did, it was a silent agreement to continue that sent us into the next phase of our battle.

**_"Dranzer!"_** I cried out, preparing for what could very well be my final attack.

**_"Dragoon!"_** Tyson's own cry rang out after mine. It was a truly awesome sight to see. We weren't fighting in the stadium anymore. We were battling in that surreal astrological landscape in our minds.

Our Sacred Spirits collided again, and this time the explosion was colossal.

Suddenly I blanked out, and when I opened my eyes I was treated to the most awe-inspiring sight ever. It was as if the entire universe was laid out before me – us. Tyson was lying next to me on a white-sand beach, the gentle lapping of waves against the shore soothing and calming my soul.

I sat up, and looked down at my rival, my partner in this place. _"Whoa…"_

_"That's got to be the most extreme battle I've ever experienced. It's like I left my body and watched it from somewhere else."_ Tyson's description made me smile again. A soft, un-Kai-like smile. I was so warm… _"That's why I love Beyblading. It makes you forget about time, makes you forget about your problems, and it makes you focus on exactly what's going on in the stadium. I know it sounds kind of strange, but when you love something as much as blading, nothing else around you really matters…"_

The quiet, calm world disappeared abruptly and we were back in the stadium, surrounded by a fog of dust and smoke. My ears were ringing, my body hurt, and I was so exhausted…

It was over. I could feel it. Dranzer spun to a stop, and I went over like a ton of bricks. I had lost.

Tyson was now the World Champion of blading for the third time in a row.

Almost immediately he was surrounded by our friends and rival teammates, as well as Gramps and the fans from the stands. They rushed passed me to try and get to him, and I had to smile as I rose shakily to my feet. I retrieved my blade, and sighed. _Well, it's not what I wanted, but if I have to lose to anyone, I'd want it to be Tyson. Way to go, buddy. You deserve the win…_

Exhausted beyond belief, I turned and silently slipped away, unnoticed by anyone else – though I thought I felt Tyson's eyes on the back of my head briefly, through that weird connection between us. It hadn't faded even though the battle had ended, and in a way, I didn't want it to.

_Tyson…just wait until next time!_

* * *

**Kali Notes:** There you have it. I covered the first half of G-Rev (up to and including episode 30!), and man. _dies_ I apologize for not including the ultimate in TyKa (episode 48 – "Ai Da!"), but I haven't seen the BEGA arc, and I know I can't do that justice without having seen it. You may be thinking, "That's it? But…" Never fear! I'm not done. lol More is still in the works for this fic! But you'll have to wait and see what it is… _winks_ Thanks everyone for reading! **Please R/R!!!!**


	4. Part IV

**Kali Notes:** FYI, this part picks up in the middle of the manga's end, just before Tyson runs into Kai again. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then this would be a huge hint that there will be a huge spoiler at the beginning. Can't avoid it though! But after that…the rest comes directly from the muses through me! Also...missing lemon content! I'll let you figure out how to find that... Enjoy!

**Warnings:** Yaoi (shonen ai, on ffnet), adult language and situations; don't read it if you can't take the heat!

**Heavy spoilers for the last volume of the manga! Don't read if you don't wanna know yet! XD**

**Disclaimer:** Kali and muses do not own Beyblade or its characters. We make no money from writing this fic – how unfortunate. Neither do we own the parts in this fic taken from the English dub of the anime.

**Dedication:** To all TyKa fans everywhere, especially those hardworking writers, artists, and AMV-techs who continue to support the fandom even though everyone seems to have disappeared… O.o

– and – to TechnoRanma, Feelin Glayish, and Flamable Devil (Crazy Jen) in celebration of Tyson's Birthday – and because it's around the anniversary of the time we first 'met'…

* * *

**BETWEEN THE LINES**

**Part IV

* * *

**

I ignored the protests of my underlings as I walked purposefully through the halls of the new BBA stadium toward the distant sounds of the audience cheering and blades clanking and grinding away. Oh. And the huffing and puffing of the out-of-shape executives of my company that had chased after me all the way from my offices at Hiwatari Enterprises.

_"President!"_

_"Please wait!"_

_"President Hiwatari!"_

I scowled internally, asking myself for the billionth time why I bothered returning to run my grandfather's company – something I've asked myself several times a day and had for the past ten years. But I kept walking and ignoring them. The things I had come here to do were far, far more important than any job.

I have put something off for too long, now, and I finally had come up with the courage to actually fix the situation.

My son is blading today. It is a major tournament, and Gou's first. The boy has certainly taken up where I had left off in the world of Beyblade. At supper the evening before, Gou had told me that he had an opponent that he had to face and beat no matter what. It gave _me_ shivers of recognition, and I was almost completely certain that there was only one possibility of competition enough out there that could make a Hiwatari that determined. I have kept in touch with the Chief over the years, mostly because of the considerable funding Hiwatari Enterprises provides to the BBA. So I knew what had been going on in my friends' lives since I'd left. And I knew what was going on in Tyson's life. I knew about his son.

I'd studied my own son carefully, nodding at the determination in that expression. Yep. No doubt at all. "I will be there." I promised. "For you, and for myself." Gou had given me a weird look, but I didn't feel the need to explain anything to him. I wasn't ready for that yet.

Even though I'd obviously puzzled the child, Gou didn't ask any further questions about it. He knew that when his father said he'd do something, then he would, and that was enough for him.

My pace increased slightly the closer I got to the stadium. I could feel _**it**_, tugging on me like an invisible thread, urging me on.

_"Please return to the office! We have an important afternoon meeting!"_

That made me pause, cold anger at being given a near direct order – no matter how politely – by a subordinate turning my expression to stone as I turned on them.

_"I have something to do that's more important than work."_ I stated softly, my tone making the poor men and one woman quake in fear for their jobs. That tug was becoming stronger, and I was getting impatient to follow it. It wasn't like I didn't know what that tug was. I knew it very well, and I had missed it more than I can ever say.

At that moment…my life changed again forever. I heard a voice. It was deeper, more mature and maybe a little more subdued than it had been over ten years ago when I'd last heard it, but it was still the same voice. Beloved. Welcoming. Forgiving. A voice I have wanted to hear for so long, ending on my name.

_"That makes two of us, Kai!"_

_"Tyson…"_ I turned slightly to look over my shoulder, and saw him standing there with a smug smile on his face with his arms crossed over his chest. My heart leapt up into my throat and it was hard to keep my face from showing just how much his appearance affected me. The insistent tugging had stopped, now that he was here, and instead there was a pressure in my chest that was constricting and wonderful. He just tilted his head at me, waiting. I gave him a short nod and spared a glance at my…groupies (I had better names for them, but they ceased to be important with Tyson there). "Get lost." I ordered. "I will not be returning today, and probably not tomorrow, either. Anyone who disturbs me will lose their position. Understood?"

Shock appeared on all their faces, but none were brave enough to offer any further protests or to follow me when I left, going with Tyson the rest of the way to the stadium. We stood at the railing and watched the match down below in the main dish, where Gou and a young boy of equal age and ridiculously familiar blading style – not to mention sense of fashion – battled it out for the tournament title. They were so determined, so eager, and so concentrated on the battle. I couldn't help but be a little more than proud of both kids for it.

_"There was a time when we were just like them."_ Tyson spoke up after a few minutes, his tone nostalgic. I felt the corners of my mouth tilt up a little. Yes…we certainly had been like those kids, if not worse. _"Sure brings back memories…"_ He added.

I nodded, watching the battle below a little longer. It was winding down. I could see that Gou and the other boy, who was a mini-Tyson and obviously his son, were tiring quickly, and both blades were beginning to wobble. No matter who won, though, I knew it wouldn't be the end. It never was.

Knowing that, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a familiar blade. With Dranzer in hand, I gave Tyson a questioning smirk of my own. _"Tyson! I have no intention of discussing the past with you!"_ I stated, reaching up with my other hand to pull off my tie. Now wasn't the time to talk about the past, the present, or the future. Now was the time to reacquaint ourselves in the one way we knew best.

Tyson chuckled and brought out his own blade. Dragoon appeared to be in perfect condition, though I'd expected no less from my rival. _"You haven't changed a bit, Kai."_ He smiled at me fondly, and I gestured for him to follow me.

After all, when we bladed…we didn't hold back, and we didn't need unnecessary casualties or damages. I think we've destroyed enough stadiums in our lifetime, thanks.

We found a quite spot not far from the stadium, in a peaceful little park. There was no one around, not even a stray dog or cat. It was here that we took up positions apart from each other and raised our launchers to face off for battle.

_"Bring it on, Tyson!"_

_"Here I come, Kai!"_

Our launches were typically furious, and we didn't hesitate to get down to business.

* * *

_**Elsewhere…**_

"Man…" Kinomiya Makoto complained, adjusting his hat after dusting it off. "I was so close!"

"Close isn't winning, baka." Hiwatari Gou pointed out smugly, watching his rival with folded arms. "But it was a good battle. You're almost as good as I am."

"Jerk. If you hadn't pulled that stunt right at the end like that I'd have won!" Makoto stuck out his tongue at the dual-haired boy. Then he sighed dramatically. "Dad's going to be disappointed."

Before Gou could say anything to that, he was interrupted by a flying pink blur.

"Makoto!" the blur squealed. "That was great! Even though I wanted to be the one to blade against you in the final round, it was still a really great battle!"

Makoto winced as he was tackled in a flying glomp and landed on his butt on the floor. Hard. "Ow! Geez, Rin! I'm not a plushie! Let go!"

Gou raised an eyebrow. "I take it you know each other."

The pink blur, a little girl otherwise known as Kon Rin, left off squeezing the air out of Makoto to look up at the new Regional Champion curiously. "Of course. Our dads are really good friends. They used to be teammates." She tilted her head at Gou. "Congrats on winning the tournament, by the way."

"Thank you."

"Ha ha!" A very adult voice laughed and drew the children's attention to the locker room doors. "I'm glad to see you can all get along so well." A blond man in a brightly coloured checkered shirt and jeans sauntered in, followed by a shorter, spectacled brunette man in a lab coat, then a woman with pink hair like Rin and a man with long, black, wrapped hair. The four adults studied the kids with fond amusement and nostalgia. "Don't they remind you of us, guys?"

"Oh, maybe a little, Max." The raven-haired man chuckled, his arm around the woman's waist. "Rin, let Makoto get up off the floor, at least."

"Oops! Sorry, Makoto!" Rin moved away and Makoto stood up, inching closer toward Gou and away from Rin to safety. "Hey, Daddy! Can we invite them to supper tonight, too?"

"Ask your mother. I don't get to make these decisions."

"I think that was the plan, sweetie." Mariah gave Rei an elbow in the side. "Your father is just being silly."

"Uncle Kenny…" Makoto tugged on the lab coat to get his attention. Kenny knelt down to the child's height and dropped a hand on his head.

"Wondering where your Dad is, huh?" Kenny smiled. "Don't worry, Makoto. He was watching the whole battle. You know he wouldn't have missed it for anything."

"I know…but…I lost."

Gou rolled his eyes. "You still did pretty good, for an amateur." Gou poked a finger into Makoto's face. "But if you don't start practicing, you'll never beat me!"

Makoto scowled at him. "Sure, you can say that because you won."

Max was chuckling again. "Wow. Some things don't even change in a generation. Oh yeah!" He walked over to the kids and held out a hand to Gou. "I guess we never introduced ourselves! Mizuhara Max."

Gou looked up at the blonde and tentatively accepted the offered hand with a quick shake. "Hiwatari Gou."

"Yep. Kai's son, right?" Max grinned, slapping Kenny on the back and nearly knocking his glasses off. "Good to meet you! And congratulations. It was a great battle. The Chief here, and I, were both keeping a close eye on everything from the sidelines."

"Indeed. I was quite impressed. Kai has trained you well, Gou." Kenny observed. "Not that I'd expect anything less."

"No kidding." Rei laughed. "I think we all remember his training sessions well enough to sympathize."

Gou frowned thoughtfully. "So…you all know my father?"

They looked down at him, startled, then at each other. "Wait…you mean Kai hasn't mentioned us before?" Kenny asked. Gou shook his head.

"Ouch. That hurts." Max sighed. "Though…not unexpected for a lot of reasons."

Makoto frowned, too. "I don't understand."

"It's okay, Makoto." Max patted the youngest Kinomiya on the shoulder reassuringly. "It's…old news. Kai was our team captain, once upon a time. He…didn't always get along with us, but we respected him a great deal and we cared about him, even though he didn't want us to most of the time."

Rei laid a hand on Max's shoulder in return. "That's not important though. The important thing is that we do, indeed, know your dad, Gou. And he knows us."

"Okay." Gou glanced at a clock on the wall. "Funny though…he said he was going to come today. But I haven't seen him."

"Kai? Here?" Max's face took on a slightly pale expression. "Oh…"

"So _that's_ where Tyson ran off to!" Kenny sighed. "I should have known…."

Mariah slipped her hand into Rei's, squeezing lightly. "Can you blame him? He's been waiting for years…"

Rei squeezed back. "I'm sure they're fine, Mariah. Those two…"

"Hey! Here you all are!" DJ Daichi interrupted, appearing in the doorway. "I was hoping you'd all still be around."

"Oh it's the rude guy." Rin huffed, sticking her tongue out at Daichi.

"Rin! You stop that!" Mariah scolded.

"Sorry, Mama."

"Have you seen Tyson, Daichi?" Max asked.

The young man looked thoughtful for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope. I actually thought he'd be here with everyone else. Don't tell me he didn't show up for his own kid's first tournament!"

Makoto crossed his arms and stomped a foot down on Daichi's. "Dad's right. You _are_ a brat."

"OW! Why you little…"

Everyone laughed at their antics.

"Maybe we should go look for Tyson." Kenny suggested a moment later. "After all, I think we could all use a bite to eat, and…" He stopped abruptly as the ground shook under his feet and a strange energy pulsed through the air.

"Earthquake?" Mariah asked, hugging her daughter to her leg protectively.

"No." Rei shook his head, eyes wide and golden. "That was Power."

Max chuckled uneasily. "You don't think…?"

A sonic boom crashed from seemingly all around them, rattling the windows with its force. Kenny went very pale, and started for the door. "I think we'd better find them and run some interference before they blow up another stadium."

The others followed him quickly in agreement, the kids trailing along behind in confusion.

"Do you know what they're talking about, Gou?" Makoto asked in a hushed whisper as they ran along behind the adults.

"No. I assume they mean our fathers, but I don't know why. Or what that noise or the ground shaking was all about."

"That's ridiculous!" Rin objected. "How could they do something like that?"

"I don't know! I'm saying what I understood from what the adults were saying!"

"Don't fight about it. We'll just go with them and find out for ourselves, right?" Makoto tried to diffuse the argument before it even started.

They followed their elders into a park, and stopped abruptly when they stopped and stood staring at whatever was going on in the distance. Makoto and Gou peeked around Kenny and Max to see what it was, while Rin went to her mother and clutched at her hand on the other end of the line.

Some few hundred metres away, a beybattle was going on. Two blades bashed and slashed and generally tore into each other with a force that could be felt even from their distance. Makoto exchanged looks with Gou briefly before both boys stepped forward – only to be held back by Kenny and Max.

"No, boys. Stay here. Don't get too close. It's dangerous." Max cautioned.

"But…that's Dad, Uncle Max." Makoto protested. "Why is he battling?"

"And that's my father!" Gou added, struggling against Kenny's hold. "What's going on?"

"Kids…this is a battle that has been a lifetime in the making." Rei was the one who finally answered after a few minutes of watching the battle continue to rage before them. "Your fathers have been rivals since the day they met. Friends, too, although their relationship is so much more than that."

"I don't get it." Makoto stated grumpily.

"Baka. It's like you and me." Gou nudged him. "You really want to beat me, and I really want to beat you, and we are always working hard to try and do that, but at the same time we're friends, right?"

"Oh. Yeah."

"It's more than that, too, though, Gou." Max smiled sadly. "I don't know if we can explain it to you well enough. I think you'll have to talk to you father about it."

"It…isn't our place." Kenny added. "I just hope they don't take this battle past their rivalry. There's too much potential for it to get out of hand."

"And none of us is nearly powerful enough to stop them if it does." Daichi agreed.

"Heh. This coming from the one who wanted to defeat Tyson almost more than Kai ever did?" Max teased.

"Shut it, Mizuhara." Daichi sniffled indignantly. "Even _I_ know when to throw in the towel. But it doesn't mean I've given up, you know. He is still a three-time World Champion, and he is still the one to beat."

"How very true." Rei agreed with a grin. The grin faded when another sonic boom preceded a blinding flash of light and a huge blast of wind and fire, and Rei quickly ducked, curling himself over his wife and daughter to shield them. Kenny and Max had done the same for Makoto and Gou, while Daichi just simply ducked.

When the fury was over, they slowly stood up and looked over to where the two bladers were still standing amongst the yet-swirling dust and grass and leaves.

Makoto went to take a step forward but Kenny's hand on his shoulder held him back again. "Wait." Kenny said.

Max peered through the dust, trying to see if the blades were still spinning. When he saw both blades lying on their sides, still, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "They're done. And it was a tie."

Rei sighed. "Of course it was. Do you think they worked anything out?"

"I don't know."

Two minutes later, the adults were ushering the kids away, bribing them with promises of food. Obviously the two World-class rivals needed some more time alone.

* * *

Struggling for breath, I stared hazily across the battlefield at my rival. God, that had felt really good. Swaying slightly, but somehow managing to keep on my feet, I stumbled forward to grab my blade from the ground. Tyson did the same, and we stood there panting, sweating, and generally exhausted for a few moments grinning rather foolishly at each other. 

"I missed you, you know." He said suddenly, in a soft voice I had rarely heard him use. I tilted my head at him, unsure of his meaning.

"Same. But then, I have always been your only true competition."

He laughed. "Yes. But that wasn't what I meant. I mean I missed _you_, Kai. Not just the battles. Not the competition. You."

Why did that make me feel like crying? I managed a tiny smile, and I answered as truthfully as I could. "Same."

"Why did you come back, Kai? I know it wasn't just for this." Tyson gestured around at the destruction our battle had wrought. There was going to be a nice little donation to the city from Hiwatari Enterprises, I decided absently. New park. Must make a memo of it for my secretary to get started on.

"What makes you think…"

"Don't even." Tyson's eyes flashed at me in warning and I promptly shut up. "Okay, I know you came here for Gou – I did for Makoto – and you came here for this battle between us, but that wasn't it. You think you can hide it from me? _Me_, Kai. I still feel it. It's _still_ there. You can't hide a damn thing from me, so tell me the truth for once."

Urk. I flinched and ducked my head sheepishly. Damn weird bond thing. Tyson's the only person in the entire world that can do this to me without even trying.

"Kai…"

"Geez, give me a second, would you?! I'm trying to find that courage it's taken me this long to work up to even BE here." I growled back at him, fiddling with my rather destroyed business shirt.

"Forgive me if I'm impatient." He threw back at me with a raised eyebrow, arms folding over his chest. I shuffled a foot.

"This is hard enough as it is without you throwing my cowardice back in my face, Kinomiya."

"I'm not doing that. I'm waiting for you to say the words, Kai." He reached out and dragged me into his personal space by the shirt. I wasn't in any shape to protest, and really…I didn't want to. Physical communication worked best for me, after all. I'm not that good with words. "I could hear it just fine during our battle just now. But I need to hear it from your mouth, not your head. I've been waiting, Hiwatari."

I was already shaky with exhaustion, but now I couldn't keep from visibly trembling. No really. Damn that weird bond thing! "I'm a coward. That's the truth of it. I ran away, again. It seems to be the only thing I'm really good at."

He sighed, seeming to deflate before me, and his hand eased from a fist to flatten against my chest, rubbing in apology. "No, Kai. You didn't run away. I know that. I know you needed to get yourself and your life back together again. I was willing to wait as long as you needed for that. I just…wasn't expecting it to be ten years."

"I'm sorry, Tyson. I don't know if you need an apology but I need to give one. I'm so sorry." Honestly, I didn't know what else to say. Oh wait. Yes I did.

He looked up at me, though it wasn't that much of a distance up any longer. We were about the same height now. Okay, yes. I was distracting myself. I met his eyes with my own and didn't try to hide anything from him, not that I could.

"No. I don't need one. But I do appreciate that you wanted to make it. So thanks. And I forgive you."

I shivered and let my head drop forward, my forehead pressed to his as I leaned into him. His hand slid up my chest and around the back of my neck, and I could feel his fingers absently playing with the small hairs there. "Thank you." I whispered.

"Mmm…" Tyson shrugged. "So…you were saying?" Those fingers at the back of my neck were distracting – more than my own thoughts were. I shifted restlessly, my hands finding their own way to Tyson's waist. My nose bumped against his and I began to wonder what in the world I was getting myself into.

"Um…" Very coherent, Kai. So smooth.

I knew he wasn't going to be patient forever. I didn't expect him to be. And here I was, right? This was why I had allowed myself to be found, instead of hiding somewhere and watching Gou. "Kinomiya…I…"

"Kai?"

I blinked. "Yeah?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "Shut up and kiss me."

I huffed. Did he want me to talk or what?! I was trying here… I gave a quiet growl and did something I should have done a very, very long time ago.

"Baka." I pressed my mouth to his and pulled him flush against my front. His lips parted under mine on a gasp and his hand tightened on my neck. I felt a full-body shiver run through him – or me, I couldn't separate us any longer – and suddenly my nerves sprung to life all at once. I heard him mumble something into our kiss and suddenly I was backing up until my shoulders hit a tree trunk. Oh god, oh god, oh god… it was like trying to capture the wind. And I thought our beybattles were passionate and furious and hot. A moan, deep and throaty, burned into my ears and I distantly realized it was me.

"Tyson…oh god, Tyson!" His mouth left mine and latched onto my throat and my ear instead. I let the tree support our weight and clutched at him helplessly.

He wrenched away from me with visible effort and just went still, pressed against me as if he was sure I would disappear otherwise. My heart was pounding harder and faster than it had during our battle, and I was sucking in air like I'd never breathed before.

"Please tell me that you're here to stay." Tyson's voice was muffled by my shoulder. "I don't care if you lie to me, just…tell me that."

My heart did that leap-frog thing in my chest and my arms were around him faster than you can say, "let it rip!" I didn't have to lie. I'd made up my mind, after all, long before I'd come here today.

"It's not going to be easy integrating our lives, you know."

"I know."

"We have the kids to think of now."

"They already get along, and I think they need each other about as much as you and I always have."

"We'll probably drive one another insane."

"I'll go insane without you now."

"Alright. Just so we have that understood."

"We'll work it out somehow."

"God. Your never-ending faith is really a force to be reckoned with, Kinomiya."

"One last thing." I blinked when he backed away from me enough to look me in the eye. "No more 'Kinomiya' from you. It's 'Tyson,' Kai. Tyson, lover, honey…I don't care if you call me buttercup. No wait. Yes I do." I choked back a laugh and did the one thing I had just figured out (aren't I quick?) that shuts him up really quick. I kissed him, though this time it was soft and rather chaste.

"Tyson. I do love you."

That had come out before I could even think about it. And it hadn't hurt a bit.

His smile was the most beautiful thing in the world. The sun paled in comparison.

Nope. Didn't hurt at all. We were kissing again before I even realized it.

"We…should go back." I managed to get out on breathing spaces between kisses. "The kids…"

"Yeah." Tyson's hand had somehow gotten under my shirt and onto my bare back, his fingertips slipping dangerously close to the waistband of my pants. "And the others…"

I shuddered as those fingers did dip under my waistband. "Ahh…the others?"

His mouth nipped at the thick pulse in my neck, then soothed with his tongue. I was putty in his hands and I really didn't care if I ever left. "Max…Rei and Mariah…Kenny…Daichi…"

"Oh." That took a minute to digest and then it hit me. "Shit! Tyson, come on…stop…"

"Don't wanna." He suckled at my neck, sure to leave a nice, tell-tale hickey.

I groaned, and slid my fingers into his hair, firmly – but gently – pulling him away from me by the head. "I don't either but we have to stop."

He pouted at me and sighed, pulling back and straightening my completely useless shirt fondly. "I am jumping your ultra sexy bones the minute I can. Fair warning."

"Duly noted. Let's go before they send out a search party."

"Worse yet: Daichi."

We both shivered dramatically, then grinned at each other. Hand in hand, we headed back toward the stadium.

* * *

The giddy relief and euphoria had toned down by the time we got there – not to mention the lust. I was no stranger to it – obviously. I had a son. So did Tyson. And while it did give me twinges of regret and jealousy that we weren't each other's firsts, would I have traded that over my son? No. Gou meant everything to me, just as Tyson did. And I had a feeling it wouldn't take long for Makoto to win me over either, if he was anything at all like his father. 

"We have a lot of talking to do, don't we." It was a statement more than a question. I nodded, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah. I suppose we do." I answered. "More…how do we tell the kids?"

Tyson ran a hand through his hair. "Uh…well, the truth usually works."

He had a point. I sighed. This was going to be an awkward conversation.

We entered the halls that led to the locker rooms. Tyson stopped at the door to one of them, and I watched him shore himself up for the entry. I did the same, but it was completely inward. Some habits don't die. I pushed open the door and was met by several pairs of eyes.

I swallowed.

"DAD!" A mini version of Tyson went zipping past me and leapt onto his father before I could blink. Dear god. I think Makoto may actually be faster than Tyson. "Dad! Are you okay!? You were battling Gou's dad! How come? What's going on? Why won't anyone tell me what's going on?"

Tyson grinned at the whirlwind of energy and tugged on the extremely familiar hat on his son's head. So that's where it went to…

"I'm just fine, Makoto. Yes, I was battling Gou's father. It's a…long-standing rivalry. We tend to do that every time we see each other after a long time apart." Tyson glanced at me and winked. "He seems to think he's good enough to beat me someday."

I resisted the urge to thwack him upside the head, and looked down as a little hand grasped mine. "Gou. That was a very good battle, son. Congratulations on winning the tournament."

He smiled at me and I picked him up. Wrapping his arms around my neck, he said, "Thanks, Papa. I'm glad you were here!"

"Of course I was. I said I would be."

"I know."

I ruffled his hair. There was a muffled wail from Makoto and when I looked over he was clinging to Tyson like a monkey.

"Makoto…son, I don't care if you didn't win! It was the battle that counted, and you did very well. You can't win _every_ time."

"But…you do!"

I couldn't help it. I laughed. And laughed. And laughed. Tyson gave me a glare that said, "Shut up, Kai."

"Tyson!" The others all chorused, minus Rin, in admonishment.

"What?! What did I do!?"

"Have you been letting your ego tell Makoto stories?" Max asked, eyeing the bluenette with a sharp sea-blue eye. Tyson scowled at him.

"No-o. What do you think I am? Give me a break you guys."

I shook my head. Gou was staring at me in astonishment and I gave him a questioning look.

"You laughed." He answered, sounding rather awed. "You never laugh."

I face-vaulted, and the others began to laugh themselves after a short pause.

"That's our Kai. 'Course, the only person who can make him laugh like that is Tyson." Rei's grin was a little too knowing and fang-filled for my liking. Pink stained my cheeks.

"Rei?"

"Yes, Kai?"

"Go soak your head."

"Aye, Captain."

Tyson intervened before I could soak Rei's head for him – in the river. "Guys, really. A big reunion like this and you two are already sniping at each other. Don't you think we should go have a big celebratory dinner or something?"

"And Tyson is still thinking with his stomach. Nice to see that nothing has changed." Kenny added wryly.

Tyson and I exchanged glances. "Well…not 'nothing.'" Tyson said, slowly.

"Huh?"

Max, eternal child that he is, bounced up and down like a ball, letting out a rather happy squeal of delight. "FINALLY!"

"Papa…is he alright?" Gou whispered in my ear, eyeing the blonde warily. "Like, in the head?" I snickered.

"He's perfectly normal. For Max." I reassured him.

Tyson was looking a little pained. I sympathized. "Max…cut it out, would you? It's not like…"

"What? You mean you _aren't_ finally getting together?" His expression fell.

"Uh…I didn't say that…" Tyson looked at me. "A little help here?"

I set Gou down. He looked up at me. "Papa? What's Mizuhara-san mean?" Those innocent eyes stared up at me and I couldn't not answer. I crouched down and replied in a solemn voice.

"Son…Tyson is a very special person to me. He and I…we're not just rivals."

"I get that part. They," Gou gestured at the others, "said as much earlier."

I nodded. I hadn't planned on having this conversation with all these other people around. Maybe just Tyson and Makoto, but not the others. But…Gou _was_ my son. And he was just like me in that he would demand answers and _now_, no arguments. So, embarrassment aside, I told him the truth. "I love Tyson very much, Gou. But I…have been too scared to tell him so, until now."

As with myself, Gou saw right past the "I love him" part and went right to the _real_ heart of the problem. "_You_ were scared?" I think I was scaring him, now. I did have a reputation for being fearless, if not downright reckless.

There was a great deal of silence in the room, and it was _really_ uncomfortable.

My face was burning. I could feel it. But I swallowed my pride and nodded. "I do get scared sometimes, Gou. Even me. Is that bad?"

I watched him think about that for a bit, then he smiled at me. "No. I don't feel bad for being scared sometimes, too, then." He hugged me and I sighed, hugging him back. "But Papa…does that mean that Makoto and his father are going to live with us or something now? Like, a mother or something?"

My mouth twitched at the corners, a mental image of Tyson in a dress with a frilly apron and rubber gloves washing a sink full of dishes came to mind. "Or something." I agreed, trying not to snicker. I felt Tyson's eyes bore into the back of my head, and heard a faint, _**I saw that!**_ somewhere in there in what was very much Tyson's voice. Then… _**You know you'd love it, too, hentai.**_ I coughed as my cheeks absolutely flamed and I threw a sharp glare back over my shoulder at him. _**You. Zip it.**_ I returned.

"Papa? Are you okay? Your face is all red."

"Oh I'm fine." I assured him quickly, getting to my feet. "We can talk about it all you want later, okay?"

"Okay."

"Hey, Dad?" Makoto's voice piped up.

"Yeah?" Tyson set the boy down and sat on a bench.

"Are we moving? 'Cause I really like the dojo, and…"

"Whoa, hold on, kiddo." Tyson blinked. Obviously Makoto's mind moved a little faster than ours did. I raised an eyebrow. "Nothing's been decided on that yet. We just wanted to tell you two about us, that's all. Kai and I still have a lot of things to talk about, you know."

"Like what?"

He had a great deal Tyson's curiosity, too.

"Ah, well…living arrangements, of course. But other things that won't mean anything to you."

"Dad…you're hedging. Spill it."

Again, I couldn't help it. I started laughing again. I got a rather disgruntled look from my…boyfriend? Lover? Well…not yet, but as soon as humanly possible.

"What?" Makoto looked back and forth between us, looking equally disgruntled. Now Gou was snickering, and the others in the room weren't far behind. "What?!"

"Ignore the peanut gallery, son." Tyson stuck his tongue out at us all and stood up. "So! How hungry are you? I think because Gou won, you should get to pick where we eat tonight."

"Hey!" Gou protested. I patted him on the shoulder.

"Sportsmanship, Gou. Remember?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"I want sushi!" Makoto declared. "Lots and lots of sushi!"

"Sushi?" Tyson blinked. "You hate sushi."

"No. I hate _your_ sushi. You can't cook sushi, Dad."

Rei, Max, Kenny, and Daichi all burst into laughter. Tyson looked absolutely dejected. I shook my head and made a mental note never to try any of Tyson's sushi.

"Sushi sounds good to me. Let's go, everyone." I fell into a role I hadn't been in for a very long time – captain mode – and was vaguely surprised to discover that the shoes still fit. "I know a good place." Gou in tow, I led the way out of the locker room and the stadium.

* * *

Dinner was a noisy affair, as it usually is with Tyson around. It was just a little bit noisier because there were two Kinomiyas at the dinner table. That was going to take some getting used to, but I think I could live with it for most nights. Correction. The kids were at another table, protesting that they didn't want to sit with the adults and be bored to tears over the conversation. Lucky them… 

"So, Kai." I _knew_ it wasn't going to take long for one of them to start the inquisition. "Where have you been all this time?"

I felt Tyson's leg move next to me and saw Max wince. I smiled with deceptive peacefulness. "None of your business, Mizuhara."

"I've kept in contact with Kai the whole time, Max." Kenny interjected hastily. "Leave him be, okay? Besides…he's right. It isn't our business. He'll talk to Tyson about it when he gets the chance, so leave it be."

Max pouted, but I didn't believe it for a second. Under the cuteness was a crack mind. I'd learned my lesson in underestimating him well. "Maybe. But don't we get an explanation, too? He was our friend. Our captain. We worried about him, too."

Ouch. Point for you, Max. "I've been busy with Hiwatari Enterprises. I took over Voltaire's company and I've been reorganizing and reallocating resources, funding, and employees to change the types of businesses it is involved in."

"And starting a family."

"Max." Tyson was the one who cut him off this time. It should have surprised me to hear that no-nonsense tone in his voice, but it didn't. I could feel a wave of protectiveness from him down the bond between us, and under the table his hand fell on my knee, resting there in support.

"I'm just curious! I've never pictured Kai as a daddy, okay?" He glanced at me. "No offence."

"None taken." It was the truth after all. I didn't think I'd make much of a father, either, once upon a time.

"We're all curious, but Kai can tell us about it when he wants to." Rei sipped his tea calmly. He was used to us. "As has been said…that's none of our business. Besides, I hardly think it matters." He gave me a grin. "Gou's a good kid, Kai. You've done a really good job with him."

Mariah rolled her eyes. "He is a good child. He's far too much like you, but we can overlook that."

I blinked at her. "What did I do to you?"

"You made Rei and Max, and Kenny, and Hilary, and especially Tyson worry about you."

"Oh."

I'm glad we all understand each other. Oh well. I should have known that while Tyson would be willing to forgive and move on, the others would take some convincing again. So I'd start with Tyson, and work my up from there. I casually let my arm fall to my side, my hand ending up covering Tyson's on my leg. I felt him start in surprise as I threaded my fingers through his.

"Don't worry, Kai. We won't pry. We're just concerned, is all." Rei gave me a small reassuring smile. "And curious. But…if Tyson can be patient, then we sure as hell can be, too."

I nodded in acceptance of that. "Thanks. I'm…not trying to shut you out, I just…"

"I know."

Kenny, who'd been mostly silent and watching us with his usual powers of observation under that hair of his, spoke up. "So I have a suggestion for you two."

Tyson stuffed a roll of kappa maki in his mouth and nodded to show he was listening. "What's that?" I asked, grateful Tyson had finally learned table manners.

"If you have no objections, why don't you let Gou and Makoto come stay with me for a couple days. I wouldn't mind at all. You two need some time alone, and having the boys around constantly won't allow you much time to talk about everything you need to." He coughed slightly and reached for his tea. "Among other things."

This time Tyson turned bright red. I'd already humiliated myself enough in front of them so the fact that Kenny was hinting that we were in need of some serious sexual activity was nothing.

"Chief!"

"What? You can't tell me you aren't going to take advantage of that."

"Urk. You're not supposed to just come out and say it, though!"

"Why? It's been completely obvious to the rest of us forever now. It's only the two of you who are oblivious."

That earned my attention. But if I stopped to think about it, which I did, Kenny was totally correct. I had been very blind to my feelings for Tyson until…well. Yes, it had been shortly after I'd left for the last time that I figured out why I was so scared of my emotions and what they implied for myself and Tyson. And was also the reason it took me as long as it had to work up the courage to do what I'd done today and finally take that first step toward a relationship. A real one.

"Thank you, Kenny." I said to him when Tyson simply stared at him, gaping like a fish out of water. A very red fish. "If Gou agrees to it, I don't have a problem with it. And I'm sure Tyson doesn't mind, either." The bluenette shrugged, still unable to say anything.

"Sure. Besides, I need a couple of test bladers, and they'd be just the right kids for it."

I rolled my eyes. Of course.

"Hey, Max, how's Hilary? I almost forgot to ask." Tyson changed the subject.

The blonde's smile was at full Wattage. "She's perfect! Well…she didn't come to the tournament today because she didn't sleep well last night – baby was kicking too much, I guess – and she wanted to rest today."

"Good. At least we didn't have to try and keep her from killing Daichi for calling her an old pregnant hag again." Tyson nodded, and I nearly choked on my spring roll when I swallowed back a laugh.

"Still calling her that, huh?"

"Variations thereof, but yeah."

I'd known of Max and Hilary's engagement through Kenny, but he hadn't mentioned she was pregnant. I eyed Max and held a hand across the table to him. "Congratulations, Max. I hope you know what you're getting into."

"Which? Marrying Hilary or having a baby?"

"Either." My grin was just a touch evil, I admit. "Both."

He just laughed good naturedly. "Thanks. And yeah, I do. She's mellowed, Kai. Though…you may not want to run into her until after the baby's born. Hormones make her do drastic things…"

I took that warning to heart. She was fiercely protective of her friends, and that translated into fiercely protective of Tyson. Hilary was almost like a mother to all of us wild boys. Ever since she became part of the team, she's been the mother figure for all of us. Even me, to a certain extent. If she had run into me after today (now that I was back in Tyson's life, hopefully on a permanent basis), not pregnant, she'd probably just kill me. But with the hormone soup in her body it was highly likely that death was the least of my concerns. I'd probably face torture, too.

"Um…has anyone _seen_ Daichi?" Mariah looked around. "He disappeared some time ago."

Tyson sighed and pushed away from the table. "I'll go. He's probably trying to chat up some poor waitress or else he's attempting to devour the buffet again."

I pushed my plate aside and picked up my teacup. Yes, some things definitely didn't change.

* * *

Some time later, our hearts had slowed back to a normal pace and we'd stopped breathing heavily. I was feeling a little sleepy, but I wasn't ready to roll over and go to sleep just yet. I stretched out languidly underneath Tyson, smiling at the protesting little murmur he made before he propped himself up on his forearms above me, smiling at me fondly. 

"Hi." I pushed some of his hair out of his eyes, brushing my fingers across his lips that were still red and swollen from kissing. "You okay?"

"Hey." Tyson kissed my fingers and sighed deeply in contentment. "I have never felt better. Are _you_ okay? I was a little rough…"

I snorted. What did he think I was? Fragile? "Please. I can take whatever you dish out, Tyson." He laughed and kissed me softly.

"Oh yes. I forgot that you're tough and bad-ass, and that if I'd really hurt you there'd be no way you'd admit it."

"The hell I wouldn't." I eyed him. "If you ever did, I'd kick your ass. Besides," I massaged his shoulders absently. "You've never held back on me before so why should you do so now?"

"I wouldn't." He moved off me to lay facing me on his side, head propped up by one hand. His other hand rested on my chest and idly traced patterns. "But we'll take a break to recover so I really don't hurt you, unintentionally."

I rolled my eyes and ran a hand through my hair. I was going to need a shower before long. "So…" I stopped before I'd even begun. I didn't know where to start the conversation that was a long time in coming.

"So." He answered, his tone suggesting he didn't really know either. "I guess I should be demanding why it took you so long, but it's really kind of pointless to ask. I know. And I don't want to dwell on something that really doesn't matter in the long run."

I nodded. "True. But I owe you an explanation, Tyson. Of all people, you deserve to hear it." I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath. "I left because I wanted to, as you said before, get myself and my life back together. I didn't feel like I had anything to offer you any longer. I'd already betrayed you and given you everything I thought I had, and I didn't know – didn't understand – that all that stuff wasn't what you really needed from me. What you wanted from me."

"Kai…love, I did want your best as a rival, and I wanted your friendship just as much. Don't ever think that I was disappointed in you for that! I was so proud of you, Kai. So proud." His eyes met mine, shining with an affectionate light I have always seen there but was too afraid to acknowledge. "And I was so honoured that you thought enough of me to work so hard at our rivalry and our friendship. As for being betrayed…" he sighed and gave me a wry smile. "Well, we both know I was an immature brat on occasion, and I had a habit of seeing things in only one way and not looking at things from different perspectives. You did what you felt had to be done. And I just want to say I'm sorry for not listening to what everyone kept telling me and said all those things to you. I was…too full of myself to see that you were trying to show how much you cared about me in the only way you knew how."

I reached out and wiped the solitary tear that trickled down his cheek, bringing it to my lips and kissing it away. "Honestly, Tyson, at the time I didn't realize that's what I was doing. But when I figured it out for myself…I was so scared. I knew, somewhere in the back of my mind, that our friends and whatnot wouldn't care one way or another if we were ever…more. But I…" I gave a frustrated huff. "It wasn't that I cared what people thought of us, because I didn't. I don't. I just…I didn't want you to have to deal with that, because even though I know you could care less what the general population thinks of you, it still hurts you deeply. I never wanted to hurt you again, not like I already had, and I knew that with our lives in the limelight if we tried to be anything other than rivals and friends you would get hurt. I couldn't stand that."

"You realize how ridiculous that is, right?" He raised an eyebrow at me and I frowned, brow furrowing in self-admonishment.

"Yeah. Now I do, when I've had all this time to think about it and to realize what an idiot I am." I blinked when his fingers touched my brow and rubbed gently to erase those frown lines. "And a coward. I should have just told you straight out that you meant absolutely everything to me, Tyson. Instead I ran off and left you hanging for ten years."

He sighed and pulled me into his arms, curling them around me tightly. "As I see it, we have two options. We can bemoan and berate ourselves and each other for not trying sooner, or we can put it behind us and focus on the here and now, and move on." Tyson's breath ruffled my hair, tickling slightly. I hugged him more tightly and kissed his bare shoulder. "Since I know you don't go for that first option at any other time, I say we just go with option two and leave it at that."

"Agreed." I looked up at him. "About Gou…"

He laid a finger across my lips, halting my words. "I don't care. I know what's in your heart, Kai. And the fact is…he's a beautiful little boy. And you love him. You're trying to be a good father to him. That means more to me than explanations about where he came from."

"Still. I want you to know. I don't want to have secrets with you." I protested, pulling his hand away from my face. "There's been too much of that already." He seemed to understand this was important to me, so he just nodded.

"Alright. I'm listening."

"She was…well, she wasn't important to me, if you want the honest truth." I sat up, wincing a little at the brief flash of soreness, and propped myself up with pillows against the headboard. I blushed heavily and looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "It was little more than a one-night fling. A moment of weakness. I…won't bore with details on that, but a few weeks later, she came looking for me to tell me she was pregnant, and that she was going to have an abortion. She didn't want a baby. At first I thought it was a ploy to get money from me. I'd had plenty of attempts at that in the past."

Tyson chuckled. "When you're hot, you're hot, and you happen to be rich, too. So goes the life of a sexy millionaire CEO, I suppose." He sat up too, facing me. He laid his hand on my knee and patted encouragingly. "What did she really want then, if not your money?"

"At first…I was suspicious, because if she did want my money, then she was doing it the intelligent, sneaky way. I mean, why else would she come to tell me she was pregnant and going to get an abortion and not demand money for the procedure and to compensate for…emotional trauma or whatever excuse she could have thought up?" My fingers plucked at the sheets as I spoke, relaying my memories and thoughts of the time. "She didn't need my money. She had plenty of her own. It turned out that she had a fight with her fiancé a couple of days before we met up. They had broken it off after that fight, and she and I…she was on the rebound, to put it short. I had thought she was just another person looking for a night of companionship and sex with no string attached, or I wouldn't have taken her home with me that night."

"Kai? You don't have to sound so guilty. If she chose not to tell you the details of her life that's her business. Her choice." Tyson's hand was soothing on my leg now. I nodded.

"I know that, I just…still feel bad for putting her in the position she ended up in. See, she came to me about the abortion because she felt I had the right to know I had fathered a child, even if she wasn't keeping it. When it hit me…I was going to be a father. It just…knocked me flatter than one of Dragoon's wind attacks. I think I accepted that she was going to have an abortion for about a day, mostly because I was in a panic and had no intention of trying to raise any child ever. But then…I don't know. Something in me changed and I couldn't let her go through with it. I met up with her and told her if she was willing to carry the baby to term, I would take it and she wouldn't have to worry about it at all." I hugged myself, thinking of the first time the doctors laid that little bundle in my arms and a pair of my own eyes stared up at me silently and solemnly. "She agreed after some negotiation, and…I have Gou."

Tyson smiled at something, sliding forward to pull me into a warm embrace. I held onto him gratefully. "You never fail to make me more proud of you than I was before, you know."

"Oh stop." I mumbled into his shoulder, embarrassed but pleased at the same time. "He's my son. Maybe he came from a night that didn't happen because I was in love, and maybe neither of us wanted kids in the first place, but I don't regret stopping her from getting that abortion or for keeping him."

I felt lips press to my temple. "Kai…I love you." He said it so simply. I returned the affection and pulled away, letting him keep my hands in his own.

"Has he asked you about his mother?" Tyson asked after a minute or two. I nodded.

"I explained it to him as best I could. He…doesn't seem to mind that the woman that should have been his mother…isn't." I wasn't sure I understood that, but maybe Gou was smarter than I was, and I knew he was more forgiving and less serious than I ever had been.

"Well, that's good. At least you were willing to tell him the truth and not try to hide it from him, as many people try to do because they think their kids aren't capable of understanding."

"Yeah. Gou is really smart, Tyson. He makes me feel very inadequate some days." I admitted wryly. Tyson laughed.

"That's what kids are for – to remind us that we aren't as all that as we think we are, and that we have just as much to learn from them as they do from us."

"How very true."

Tyson glanced away, his expression becoming sad and serious. It was totally unnatural and I squeezed his hands. "What's wrong?" I inquired softly. "You went serious on me."

"My turn, that's all. About Makoto…"

I nodded, tilting my head at him and waiting patiently to let him know I was listening. He let go of my hands and drew his legs up to his chest, hugging his knees. "Makoto's mother was a friend. She and I started seeing each other out of that friendship, at first. We were both lonely, I guess, and needed someone to enjoy life with. Max and Kenny were always busy with their labs and development centres, and Hilary was always wherever Max was and assisting Kenny with his work. Rei married Mariah and they stayed in China, even though they come over to visit often enough. And Daichi…well, Daichi is Daichi." He rolled his eyes and I snickered. Yes, I knew how well those two got along. I didn't ask about Gramps Kinomiya, since I'd heard from Kenny that he had 'retired' and moved to a senior's home on the beach where he spends most of his days sunbathing and girl-watching (much to Tyson's consternation). I shook off my thoughts and paid attention to him again. "So I was mostly hanging around the dojo alone with nothing particularly important to do. I tried working but it didn't last long." He grinned at me and I smirked.

"No really." I commented sarcastically. He punched me lightly in the arm.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up. I met her in the bookstore, actually. I accidentally knocked her over because I couldn't see where I was going over a stack of books I was carrying. Anyway, we had coffee and got to know each other, started hanging out with each other, and then…" he fell silent for a moment, but I waited patiently. "I don't know. She knew I didn't love her in that way. She knew I was waiting for someone – she didn't know it was you specifically, but she knew it was someone. And despite that, we somehow ended up in bed together."

"Friends with benefits?" I asked. He gave me a reproachful look and I sighed, hanging my head in apology. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"No, that's okay. It was basically like that, from my end. From her end, I think she genuinely wanted to love me. Wanted, not did. I also think she had given up on finding anyone else to love her at all. She had no other family, and she didn't have that many friends, really."

"What happened?" I asked, gently directing him to tell me about it. He let his chin rest on his knees as he continued.

"We had our little affair. It was fun and all, and neither of us were expecting her to get pregnant because she was on the pill and we used protection. I don't know how it happened, honestly. But it did." Tyson looked away from me, and I frowned. I could feel his emotions clearly, and at the moment it was guilt, pure and simple.

"Tyson…hey." I slid my fingers through his hair and he raised his head to meet my gaze. "It's alright, you know. I had no illusions or expectations that you would stay celibate while you waited for me to get my act together. I don't care about that any more than you did." My mouth quirked slightly. "I know your heart. And I understand the need for companionship, especially you. You've always needed people, Tyson, around you. I'm not a social sort of guy, but you are. So don't agonize or flog yourself for being you." His eyes closed and he held my hand to his cheek, shivering.

"Thank you. It wasn't just that… I… She was about six months pregnant when we began discussing marriage." He refused to look at me now, and I just watched him, unsurprised. Sure it stung – a lot – but I knew him, and his sense of honour was one that meant he'd marry the girl he got pregnant even if he didn't really love her like that. "I'm so sorry, Kai! I…I didn't want to give up on you, on us, but I…"

"Tyson!" I cut him off, pulling him into my arms this time and holding him fiercely to my chest. "It's okay! Love, you're being guilty for nothing. It's enough for me to know that you love me, that even if you had married her, you still loved me. You think I would begrudge you doing the right thing by a girl? No. So don't even go there."

He chuckled in a watery way, tears dripping down my chest. "Kai…in these modern times, 'doing the right thing' is a very male chauvinistic, medieval concept. Feminists everywhere would be hanging you by your toes off the Tokyo Tower to hear you say that."

I scowled at that idea. "They'd have to catch me first. And I didn't mean…"

"I know!" He sat back up again and kissed me fondly. "Relax. Kai… It wasn't that I was going to marry her just because she was pregnant, it was…I was beginning to doubt myself and whether or not you really wanted a relationship. It had already been about three years since I'd last seen or heard from you. Not one word from you, and I was…" He stopped. "Well, I was beginning to question whether I'd really seen what I thought I'd seen in you, for me. I was being stupid, I know that, but…"

"And that's my fault. I should have…well. There are a lot of things I should have done that I didn't. We'll be here until the apocalypse listing all those should-haves." I kissed him again, lingering a little just because I could. I found I liked kissing him. A lot.

"Thank you." He keeps thanking me for things and it was beginning to annoy me a little. "Really, though, I needed to be stronger, and I wasn't. But anyway…" he hastily continued before I could give him any more hell. "There were some complications during her pregnancy. She wasn't a very big woman, and Makoto was a big baby." His face fell and took on this sad, pained expression that nearly broke my heart. I knew what he was going to say before he said it. "She went into labour early, and the doctors ended up having to perform a Caesarian. It was to save Makoto. They couldn't save her. They said something to me about internal bleeding and infection, but I wasn't really in a frame of mind to understand it. All I knew is that she had died giving me a son, and I didn't love her in the way that she deserved for something like that." Tears poured down his cheeks and I did the only thing I could: I held him and let him weep quietly in mourning for a woman I'd never meet but was still oddly grateful to for making him happy, at least for a little while, when I wasn't capable of it.

"I'm sorry, love." I murmured, stroking his hair and rubbing his back soothingly. "Makoto obviously turned out fine." I tried cheering him up, pointing out the good that had come from the bad. "He's as bright and wild as you."

Tyson sniffed and reached for a tissue from the bedside table. "The boy is a whirlwind of pure energy. I don't think I ever had that much energy as a kid, though Gramps assures me I did."

I grinned. I agreed with Gramps. I'd met Tyson later on in his life, older than Makoto is now, but he was still almost more energetic than I was willing to try and put up with. "He's your son, after all."

Tyson grinned back, and I felt very relieved to see him bounce back. "Yep! My son."

I sighed and leaned against the headboard. "We should clean up a bit. We're still all grimy from our battle earlier."

He wriggled his eyebrows at me suggestively. "Which battle are we talking about?" He teased. I made a face.

"Brat. Both." I swung my legs to the side of the bed and looked around for my underwear. Tyson's arms banded around me from behind and his nose nuzzled behind my ear. "Tyson…" I moaned as his lips brushed a sensitive spot on my neck. "Don't you start anything…"

"Did you have something better to do?" He replied innocently, my ear becoming his favourite toy. I twitched at the jolt of pleasure and squeezed his knee warningly.

"You're incorrigible, you know that?" I turned in his arms partially and raised my mouth to his willingly. He captured it and kissed me passionately, all tongue and lips and teeth, which I returned in kind, my fingers burrowing through his hair and tangling. I could get very used to this with him. "Mmm…Tyson, we should at least clean up some before we get all sweaty and stuff again…" My stomach muscles clenched and I hissed as his fingers trailed down over my navel and teased the light sprinkling of hair there. "Damn it, Tyson…"

"Alright, love. I don't see what the point is when we're just going to get more _dirty_ than before." I shivered at the blatant lust in his voice, but held firm and pushed away from him to stand up. "Come on, Tyson."

Half an hour later, we ended up in the living room with mugs of tea and a movie on TV. Tyson was snuggled in against my side, sleepy and content as a cat. "Hey, Kai?" His voice broke my attention that was fixed on the TV, not that I was actually watching the movie or anything, I was just staring at it, lost in thought.

"Yeah?"

"Any thoughts on just how we are going to work this out?"

I pondered that briefly. Gou and I still lived in the Hiwatari mansion, but I knew I didn't have any particular attachment to the place. It was never home, to me. If any place could be said to be that, it was here at the Kinomiya dojo. But Gou…I'd have to ask him about it and I said as much to my lover.

"Do you see any point in that whole phase of a relationship they call dating?" I asked. "Because it seems kind of redundant. And we'll have to talk to the kids to find out how they feel about possibly living together, right?"

Tyson turned his head to look up at me. "We could still go out on dates, you know. I think I'd like going out and doing things with you sometimes. But you're right. And yeah, we do have to talk to the kids. I know they get along just fine right now, but its different living with someone than it is just seeing them every day at school or whatever."

I nodded. "Yeah." I looked down at him seriously. "And us? Do you think we can live with each other?"

He smiled and pulled me into a kiss. "Love, we'll probably drive each other crazy, but I'd rather have that than nothing at all."

I smiled back in agreement, because so would I.

* * *

**Kali Notes:** There you have it. Part IV complete! I hope I haven't bored you all to death yet. LOL There is an epilogue, so keep tuned for that! And I hope all my readers will let me know what they think, so please… **R/R!**

**Special thanks to TechnoRanma, for all her insight and encouragement. I love you!**


	5. Part V

**Kali Notes:** Thank you to everyone who has read and commented on Between the Lines. I really hope I accomplished what I set out to do with this story. How fitting that this I'm ending the fic nearly a year to the date I first posted!

This is the finale, folks! Enjoy!

**Warnings:** Yaoi (shonen ai, on ffnet), adult language and situations; don't read it if you can't take the heat!

**Disclaimer:** Kali and muses do not own Beyblade or its characters. We make no money from writing this fic – how unfortunate. Neither do we own the parts in this fic taken from the English dub of the anime.

**Dedication:** To all TyKa fans everywhere, especially those hardworking writers, artists, and AMV-techs who continue to support the fandom even though everyone seems to have disappeared… O.o

– and – to TechnoRanma, Feelin Glayish, and Flamable Devil (Crazy Jen) in celebration of Tyson's Birthday – and because it's around the anniversary of the time we first 'met'…

* * *

**BETWEEN THE LINES**

**Part V**

* * *

It was surprisingly easy for us to integrate each other into the lives we already had. Easier still to explain to the boys the new situation in their home-lives. I don't know if it's because Gou and Makoto are truly our sons or if they were somehow blessed with a more mature wisdom than either Tyson and I were at their age, but they actually listened with patience while we, their somewhat clueless fathers, fumbled around our explanations about our relationship, how things were going to be from now on, and were they okay with all this? 

Leave it to Makoto to sum it up nicely and Gou to just shrug in the simplest form of acceptance there could be.

"You love each other." Makoto announced.

"So why would we have a problem with that?" Gou added.

"Tyson and I really want you to think about this, boys." I wagged a finger at them. "Because after a long talk, Tyson has invited you and I to move into the dojo, Gou, and that's a big change for you and Makoto. You're both used to having your fathers' undivided attention, and if this happens then you're going to have to learn to share that attention."

"Not just with either Kai and I, but with each other as well." Tyson added seriously. His hand was clasped tightly around mine, and those fingers tightened slightly, as if he feared that they would rebel at that idea completely.

Makoto and Gou just looked at each other for a moment.

"It won't be easy, I suppose…" Gou mused thoughtfully.

"I think it's a good idea. I would like having my best friend around all the time – even when you are getting on my nerves." Makoto replied. Gou rolled his eyes.

"Who gets on whose nerves?" He muttered, but grinned. "Me too."

I let out breath of relief I hadn't known I was holding in. Tyson's hand relaxed around mine.

"So you don't mind, then?" I asked Gou. "Leaving the mansion to move here?"

"Nah. It's a big old house, Papa, but it's really empty with just us, you know. Besides…" he looked around the living room, taking everything in. "This feels like home."

Now I grinned, because that's exactly what I have always thought. I always knew he was a smart child. Tyson was looking a little misty-eyed, and he was suddenly getting up and swooping Gou up in a giant hug, planting a kiss to the top of my son's head with an easy affection that filled me with the deepest warmth. God how I loved him.

Makoto rolled his eyes but then was coming over to stand in front of me, eyes questioning. I smiled and drew him up to sit in my lap, cuddling the young boy like I had Gou over the years. "I know it's kind of strange, Makoto, but…I love you as much as I love Gou, and I'm sure you can tell your Dad loves Gou just as much as he loves you." I stated quietly, watching Tyson swing Gou around with a laugh. Gou was giggling at the ride.

"It's not strange." Makoto looked up at me with Tyson's vivid blue eyes. "Not to me, anyway. Everyone loves me!" He exclaimed – with Tyson's pride and complete lack of modesty. I laughed. I couldn't help it.

"Yes, I'm sure that's true." I coughed at the '_**I am so modest, Hiwatari!**_' broadcast loud and clear down that weird bond between Tyson and I. Giving Makoto a hug, I put him back on his own feet and stood up.

Tyson and Gou joined us again, and I lifted Gou up into my arms, a smile on my face. "I guess that means we have a lot of things to do, don't we Gou? First thing's first: packing."

"Yeah! Gou, come and pick out your room! We've got a few extras around here." Makoto dragged off his new housemate and I watched them go, feeling somewhat misty myself. Arms slid around my waist from behind, and Tyson's breath was warm on my neck and ear. I leaned back into him, my cheek brushing against his.

"Welcome home, Kai."

"I'm home, Tyson. And this time I'm not leaving. Ever."

"Damn straight you're not."

* * *

Some days I can hardly believe that my life could be even half as wonderful as it is, now. Some days I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop – on my head. Things weren't all sunshine and rainbows with all the changes that have occurred since that fateful weekend. There have been a few bumps and bruises, namely the kids getting used to each being in the other's space (which could have been worse had we made them share a room), and the fact that Tyson and I have very little 'alone time' as Kenny so euphemistically terms our sex life. But there's no where else any of us want to be, and there's nothing that could drag either Gou or I away from the dojo now that we're here and we're a family. A _real_ family, Gou is forever reminding me.

I still have visions of Tyson in that apron doing dishes whenever he says that.

Our friends have been nothing but supportive (not that I expected otherwise), though there have been a few people around that are less than agreeable about the fact that Tyson and I are obviously living together, as a couple, with children always present, and…well. We all know how many in this world view homosexual relationships – even when they don't know a thing about the people they're maligning. But Tyson and I have managed to deal with society pretty much as we always have.

We ignore it.

The boys have dealt with a bit of fall-out at school, but I think they handled that perfectly well. Tyson's not so happy about the phone call from the principal, but I'm slipping the boys a bonus for their allowances this month. We, neither of us, have tolerated bullies and when Gou caught some kid at school bullying Makoto he quite handily proved to the bully and his gang that picking on Makoto was a mistake. A really big one.

I'm so proud.

Tyson's proud too, he just hides it better.

It's been three months since Gou and I moved into the dojo. And today was a rather momentous one. You could say today was the day Tyson 'took me home to meet the parents' – or in his case, Gramps.

Snuggling up to Tyson, curled around me in our bed and snoring lightly in my ear after a rather vigorous love-making session, I cast my mind back on the events of the day with a sigh of relief at the knowledge it's over.

_I looked around at the scenery, a half-smile crossing my face as I followed Tyson through the halls of the seniors' condo building. This was definitely a place that suited the eldest Kinomiya; beaches a few steps away, pretty nurses and staff around 24/7, and yet still each elder had their own suite and space to call their own. Tyson had explained in the car on the way here that Gramps had searched and searched until he found this place, and then he and Tyson had a nice long argument about how the old man didn't have to move out just because Tyson had a son and was running the dojo himself._

"_He's adamant that it was time I had completely ownership of Kinomiya lands and that it was time for me to continue the Kinomiya 'dynasty,' as he calls it." Tyson had said with a fond rolling of eyes. "Besides…I apparently 'cramp his style with the chicks.'"_

_I had nearly choked on my coffee at that._

_Tyson stopped at a door at the end of the hallway, raising a fist to knock briskly – before simply walking right in with a yell of "Gramps! You home?" I followed him inside silently, my nerves already strung tightly at the prospect of the coming confrontation. If there was anyone in Tyson's life that I had to fear in order to be with him, it was Ryuunosuke Kinomiya._

"_Little dude!_ _Out on the deck!" Came the reply. I grasped Tyson's arm before he could move through the condo suite._

"_Kai?"_

"_Maybe you should…talk to him first." I hesitated, glancing in the direction the voice had come from. "I mean…break the news and give him a chance to absorb it before thrusting me into his life again…"_

"_Oh, Kai…" Tyson leaned over and gave me a soft, but deep and thorough, kiss. "He's always thought of you as one of his own grandkids. You don't need to be so wary of him, you know. He knows you stayed away for a good reason, no matter what it may have been."_

"_Still…" Okay, so I'm a coward. We know this already._

"_Alright._ _Stay here a minute, and I'll go talk to him." I nodded and watched him walk outside through the patio doors of the living area. I looked down at my feet for a moment then glanced at the sofa. _Might as well, sit _I thought, not knowing how long it was going to take for Tyson to explain to Gramps everything._

_I couldn't stay sitting for long, however. I was too restless and nervous. So I wandered over to the patio doors that were still partly open, and unashamedly eavesdropped on Tyson and his grandfather._

"…_about Kai, Gramps."_

"_What about him? The kid finally bothered to call?"_

"_Gramps."_ _Tyson snapped. I knew that tone perfectly well. "You don't know what happened so don't go making judgments. I thought you were wiser than that."_

"_Now, now, T-man._ _Just because you're not 13 anymore doesn't mean you can take that tone with me." Gramps responded in a reasonable tone. He didn't sound very happy though. "As for your former home boy…"_

"_He's back, Grampa. We've had a long, long talk about…well everything, honestly." There was a pause, then, "He loves me." I heard the smile in his voice._

"_Tyson…" Uh oh. I've hardly ever heard Gramps use Tyson's proper name. Then there was a deep, heavy sigh. "Kiddo, I can't say anything about your choices in love. You're old enough to deal with those sorts of problems on your own. And I doubt that my opinion holds much weight in any case."_

"_That's not…"_

"_Ah Ah!_ _Let me finish." Gramps interrupted. "The fact is, I know perfectly well that when it comes to Hiwatari Kai, you will do whatever you want no matter what anyone else in the world tells you. Because you love him." This time I could hear a smile in the old man's voice, and my heart suddenly jump-started in my chest. I hadn't realized it stopped. "Because you know him best. Besides which, it is your life. I have no right to tell you who you can or can't love, and I wouldn't dare to presume to tell you any such thing. Because I love you and you're my grandson."_

_A sniffle._ "_Gramps…"_

"_What I'm trying to say, little dude, is that if you and Kai have worked things out, then fantastic! It's about damn time. I've watched the two of you dance around each other for far too many years. You've said things to each other with a heart that has always been wide open to one another, things that few people ever find in life. Granted, his life hasn't been easy nor has it been simple, but he's come through it well enough. I've seen through that mask of his since the first time you brought him home with you and the rest of your homies. If there's anyone out there that's worthy of you, I haven't met them yet."_

_There was a long, long moment of silence, and I could hear Tyson's sniffling. Actually, I kind of wanted to sniffle, too. I wasn't expecting open arms here, but I hadn't expected quite that amount of blessing from the old man, either. Then came Gramps voice again, breaking the poignant moment._

"_Blow your nose, T-man."_

_Tyson's laughter was a little on the wet and stuffy side, but he obeyed. "Thanks, Gramps."_

"_So are you going to tell me about it or do I get to chock it up to one of life's great mysteries? Gimme the skinny, little dude! The low-down, the 411…"_

"_Gramps!"_ _More laughter from my beloved in that protest, then... "He's here."_

_The smile that had crossed over my face at Tyson's relieved laughter disappeared instantly. Maybe Gramps was willing to forgive me, but I still dreaded meeting him again face to face._

"_Eh? Who's here?"_

"_Kai, Gramps. He's waiting inside."_

_At that, I made a break for it. Kami forbid I should get caught eavesdropping. I went back to the sofa and sat gingerly on the edge of the cushioned seat, running my hands through my hair in a nervous gesture. At that point, Tyson stepped back into the room, Gramps following behind closely. I waited for all of a second before I looked up at them, then shot to my feet to greet the old man that had been more of a grandfather to me than my own had._

"_Kinomiya-san…" This was going to be interesting since I apparently can't even say anything useful. At least I'm not stuttering._

"_K-Man!"_ _I had a millisecond to blink before I was engulfed in the embrace of a wiry – but surprisingly still spry – old man._

"_Oomph!"_

"_Oh for…Gramps, he still has to breathe, you know."_

"_I know that! But I had to give him a hug! The boy hasn't had enough hugs in his life." Gramps let me go and I pretty much collapsed backward onto the sofa again, blinking in stunned surprise._

_I couldn't really argue with him, though. Hugs, indeed. Tyson was smiling knowingly at me, in complete agreement with his grandfather, I suppose._

"_Don't worry, Gramps. That's __**my**__ job from now on." The little brat actually leered at me!_

"_Tyson!"_ _I admonished, blushing to the roots of my hair. He snickered then burst out laughing. Gramps was chuckling, too._

"_Well, you boys sit down here and I'll rustle us up some grub and some iced tea! Then you can tell me all about it." Winking at me, Gramps strolled off to the kitchen area (albeit aided by a stylish walking stick these days) whistling. I huffed and fell back against the soft cushions of the sofa, eyes closing in amazement. Tyson dropped down next to me and nudged my leg with his knee, his hand picking up mine and bringing it up to his mouth to brush a kiss over my knuckles._

"_You okay, love?" he asked me softly. I nodded, rolling my head to look at him kind of sideways._

"_Getting there."_ _I gave him a reassuring smile. "He's still…Gramps." I commented, earning a snicker from my lover._

"_Yes. Yes he is."_

Thinking about it made me smile. Gramps had plied us both with enough iced tea to waterlog an elephant and stuffed us with snacks like one, too. And while he did that, we gave him a slightly modified explanation of everything. And there were tears. Not out of me…well, okay. I admit I got a _tad_ watery, but not like the crocodile tears that came out of two emotional Kinomiya men. I got the air squeezed out of me again by Gramps when we left, too.

Tyson's breathing shifted and I knew he was waking up. His arm tightened around me, then his hand rubbed over my chest seductively. "Hey."

"Hey."

"You're thinking. I can hear it." Lips nipped tantalizingly at the nape of my neck.

I rolled my eyes, but leaned into his embrace willingly. "It's nothing. Sorry I woke you up."

Chuckling darkly, he nibbled on my ear. "No you're not. I can feel it." His hand was wandering down my front with lustful intent. I sighed happily.

"Well, there is that…"

I flipped over to face him and was quickly absorbed into a passionate, loving kiss while his hands mapped out my body with abandon, his legs tangling with mine in the sheets. After that, any more thoughts of the day or my frayed nerves disappeared. Tyson had a habit of making me put the important things in perspective. And damn if he wasn't good at it.

* * *

A month or so went by and everything was beginning to settle into what I loosely termed 'normalcy' – considering life with any Kinomiya is never routine, let alone life with two of them. I had thought that I'd cleared all the hurdles to finally getting on with my life with Tyson, but of course reality had to come back and bite me on the ass.

Hard.

Somewhere along the way I'd completely forgotten that aside from Gramps, Tyson had a father and a brother out there in the world somewhere.

It was early October. I had the day off work, Tyson made sure he didn't have anything to do for the weekend, and we'd sent Gou and Makoto off to visit Kenny – who was then going to pass them on to Max and Hilary so they could see the new baby and help out around the house a bit, since Max was busy between family and work for the BBA and the Hobby Shop. I got up early, leaving a passed out, snoring freight train named Tyson still sprawled face-down on the bed with the sheets mostly on the floor and barely covering his backside. I had to smile, as I pulled on a pair of drawstring lounge pants and a shirt (which I didn't bother to button), when my beloved bluenette snuffled and patted the spot I'd just left before blindly reaching up to grab my pillow and bring it down to hug to his chest with a contented sigh. I grinned and quietly slipped out of the room so he could sleep in for a while.

I made coffee and toast for myself and took my breakfast outside to eat while I read the newspaper. When I was finished, I left my dishes in the sink and went into the dojo to meditate, knowing that by the time I was done, Tyson will have woken up on his own and would come looking for me.

I was just walking into the dojo when a voice called out from the front entrance, "Tyson! Hey, kid! You awake yet?"

I froze and stared at the man who came waltzing in with a large bag tossed over his shoulder. I swear the powers-that-be hate me.

Kinomiya Hiro stopped when he spotted me and there was an instant death-glare directed at me. Not that he was receiving smiles of welcome from me in return…

"You." I think the temperature dropped a few hundred degrees, because I shivered – and tried desperately not to show it. Frigid doesn't even begin to describe the vibe that flowed in my direction from Tyson's older brother.

As I had no real response to give, nor anything productive to say that wouldn't result in an attempted beating, I kept silent, lips pursed in a thin, straight line and face as blank as I could make it. Internally I was well on my way to panicking, shouting on down that bond to my lover to '_**WAKE THE HELL UP!'**_ before something bad happened. Sometimes this telepathic connection can be useful, because I could feel him moving before he was even mostly awake, the link between us drawing him to me through the house like a magnet.

"Hiro." I acknowledged, carefully taking up a position that could easily shift from defense to offense if the occasion rose. I could feel the tension at the back of my neck and the little hairs on my arms seemed to prickle with it, almost like a static charge. I watched Hiro slowly drop his bag and take a step forward, and I tensed, bracing myself for the fight.

But instead of coming at me, he froze in place and looked over my shoulder. I relaxed slightly as a sleepy, annoyed Tyson came up behind me and pretty much used me as a prop to hold him upright. His arms came around my waist loosely, and his chin dropped down onto my shoulder. He yawned loudly in my ear and blinked blearily across the room. "What's got you so worked up this early, Kai?"

I leaned back into his arms unconsciously, welcoming the weight and comfort of him gratefully. And submissively. I wanted to drive home the point that I was here because _Tyson_ wanted me there, not because of something _I_ wanted. Big brother Hiro was ridiculously protective of Tyson (when it came to me, at least), but if he understood that Tyson wanted me, welcomed me, then chances were he would back off out of love for his little brother. And I could be civil – its as easy as not saying a word, something I have great skill at.

"You have company, Tyson." I replied quietly. "Your brother is here." I still didn't take my gaze off Hiro as I spoke, watching him as neutrally as I could. Oooh he was _not_ pleased to see me with Tyson. Not at all. Tyson's chin lifted off my shoulder and he straightened, waking up enough to send a warm grin across the room to his brother.

"Hiro! I didn't know you were back in the country! Is Dad with you? Have you gone to see Gramps, yet?" I couldn't help the faint smirk at the rapid fire questioning. Neither could Hiro.

"Little bro… Yes, Dad's out front getting his stuff from the car, and no, not yet." Hiro flicked his gaze between me and Tyson. "What's _he_ doing here?"

Tyson frowned and gave him a rather pointed glare. "He lives here, Hiro, and don't give me that condescending look! Ah!" He held up a hand. "Don't you dare. You know nothing about it, so just leave it alone. He's here, and he's staying here no matter what you or anyone else have to say about it."

That fierce protectiveness gave me warm tingles all over. But I wasn't going to be the cause of a family rift. No way could I do that to Tyson. I heard a '_**Don't**_ _**be stupid, Kai.**_' as I turned to leave the room, just as he caught my hand and held on.

"I'll…go make coffee and breakfast." I said, squeezing his hand. '_**I'm okay**_.' I added mentally. '_**Talk to him, and your father. I'll be in the kitchen**_.'

"We'll be along in a minute, then." Tyson agreed, letting me go. I nodded and padded away. When I was out of sight, I stopped and leaned against a wall for a moment, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. How embarrassing that I had needed _rescuing_. Me. From Hiro! Someone I was quite capable of standing up to all on my own. It was ridiculous and I was quite happy to flog myself with my own stupid pride while I went about preparing a very light, basic breakfast for Tyson and his family (should they be inclined to eat).

I could barely hear their voices from the kitchen, but when those voices rose I could hear quite clearly the outright fight going on between the two siblings. I closed my eyes and braced myself against the counter, leaning over it with my head hung as I listened, however unwillingly, to them argue in full voice over me.

"…a big risk in letting him back here, Tyson!"

"What part of 'I love him' do you not understand, Hiro? You've known for years how I felt about him! How he's felt about _me_! And neither he nor I have any obligation to explain to you why he didn't come back sooner. That's between us and nobody else!"

"I don't know what sort of sob story he could have possibly told you to have made up for all the pain he's caused you all these years, Tyson, but you really need to give your head a shake and pull it out of your ass! He's never been good enough for you, and now you have Makoto to think about! You can't just expect my nephew to accept someone like Hiwatari into his home and life without even…"

There was a loud smack! of sound and I winced. Oh, that's not going to go over well… I was pretty sure that Tyson had just thrown a punch, if not a bitch-slap. And I knew from bitter experience that he was quicker than lightning, particularly when he was righteously pissed off about something. Not even Hiro could have dodged or blocked it in time, for all his training and experience. Waves of outrage and sorrow were pouring down the link and it was all I could do not to fall over and burst into tears. I could do nothing except send him my love and strength and whatever support he needed, even though it was tinged in sadness and regret that I was the cause of such disharmony between Tyson and Hiro. He had always been Tyson's hero and idle, had looked up to him since he was a toddler, and now I was a wedge of contention between them.

"I can't believe you would dare, Hiro. I have reason enough to pound you into the dojo floor for maligning Kai, but to question how I raise Makoto? Who, by the way, absolutely loves and adores Kai to pieces, not to mention being on cloud nine being able to live with his best friend who is closer than a brother to him."

"You can't tell me Hiwatari…"

"He has a son the same age as Makoto, Hiro. And I love Gou as much as I love my own son. He might as well be my son, just as Makoto might as well be Kai's. We love our children and we love each other. There is nothing more or less between us, but you never could understand that. I don't know why you hate Kai so much, but as long as you can't put it aside and at least try and be civil, at least try to accept that he's everything to me, then you are no longer welcome here. You are no brother of mine if you can't let the past stay in the past and get over this childish dislike for someone you hardly know."

I swallowed, my eyes going impossibly wide. There was no way I could let him do that! I was down the short hallway and in the room before I realized what my intentions were. "Tyson, don't…"

"Kai." He turned to me and before either Hiro or I could say anything more, Tyson was pulling me into his arms and kissing me stupid. Helpless to resist, helpless to deny the surge of emotional chaos drifting back and forth between us, I went completely compliant and kissed back willingly, my hands moving of their own accord to his face and the back of his neck. He didn't let me go until my mind was totally blank of anything but him and I was dizzy and breathless. With a whimper I buried my burning face into his neck and curled my arms around him snugly. I felt his lips trail over the shell of my ear and heard him whisper, "I love you. And you're not going to go all tragically noble on me and offer to leave. No way in all hells."

"But…"

"No. Now shut up."

I clamped my mouth shut and remained where I was, tucked against his side with my head resting on his shoulder.

"Well. If that was a show meant to somehow convince me of…I have no idea what, then I don't know what you want me to say." Hiro's face was stony, and I could see a flicker of pain in his eyes before it was quickly dosed in anger. I couldn't really bring myself to feel much sympathy for him, though I did regret that his relationship with his little brother was in tatters.

Tyson sighed deeply, emotionally exhausted. I rubbed a hand up and down his back soothingly in support. "Hiro…I don't want you to say anything. I just want you to move on and accept us as we are. I haven't changed, and Kai," he turned his head with a rueful grin to look at me, "hasn't changed a whole lot either. He's just let himself be more open than he could be in the past, that's all."

Hiro stayed silent, studying us as though the answers he was looking for could be seen, some sort of clarity or insight that would be visible to him about us. After a long moment, he closed his eyes and I saw him seem to wilt, as if he'd been drained of whatever energy had been holding him upright all this time was suddenly just gone. His expression was still hard, still wary, but it softened considerably as he finally nodded at Tyson and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Tyson. I know you're old enough to deal with all this on your own, and perfectly capable of deciding what you want to do with your life. I guess…I still haven't gotten used to the fact that you don't need me anymore."

Tyson's eyes filled, though he didn't let the tears fall as easily as he once did. "Hiro, you're still my big brother. I still love you and look up to you, and you'll still be there if I need you. But I won't put up with you interfering in my decisions any longer. Just…know that Kai and I have worked out our issues, and we're happy. Together. Can that be enough?"

Hiro finally turned his gaze on me, and I saw the clear, unspoken message in his eyes. _Hurt him again, even the littlest bit, and I will kill you myself_. I nodded minutely, getting the message loud and clear. I hoped he could see in my gaze that I'd kill myself before I hurt Tyson ever again, but I wasn't sure exactly how good I was at telegraphing subliminal messages after so many years of keeping everything to myself.

"I won't make promises, Kid, but I will try. I think I'll need time to get used to the idea." He answered Tyson with a slight smile. He wasn't smiling when he looked at me, but he wasn't hostile anymore, either. "Is that coffee ready? It was a long flight and drive from the airport, and I think Dad and I could use a few cups full."

It was an offer for a truce, and I accepted it as graciously as I could.

"I'll go get it. Bring your stuff in, while I get everything ready."

Tyson watched me go with a relieved smile on his face, and I heard him say, "I'll go help Dad bring in the rest of your stuff. Just throw it over there for now and we'll set up the spare sleeping rolls and everything later." as I left the room.

* * *

After that initial rollercoaster ride of emotion, dealing with Tyson's elders eased significantly. Hiro was really making an effort to get over whatever it was that put him off our relationship, and Tyson's father was as jovial and accepting as he'd always been. I hadn't seen him, myself, since way, way back in those early days of the first year of the Bladebreakers, back during our first World Championship tournament. But he seemed to know everything that happened to Tyson (and subsequently me) from then until we'd all retired from competitive blading and I basically disappeared from the blading world completely. I was absurdly grateful that he was wise enough and accepting enough to not want to pry and find out where I'd been these last ten years. Who knows? He probably does know where I was and what was going on. It wouldn't surprise me. He did, after all, have connections in unexpected places, not the least of which was with the BBA (at first with Mr. Dickenson, and later probably with Kenny).

When I collapsed face down onto the bed much later that night, I was completely exhausted. It was like I'd been blading with Tyson in preparation for a big tournament for 24 hours straight. I felt muscles complain in places I didn't know existed on my body.

I let out a deep, heartfelt groan of appreciation when a well-known, beloved pair of strong, calloused hands grasped my shoulders and began to knead, while Tyson's weight pinned me at the waist. "God…that feels good."

"Hmm…I thought it might. You hoard all your tension in your muscles, Kai." Tyson dug his fingers into the muscles around my shoulder blades, my breath whooshed out on a deep sigh. I swear I purred. He was straddling my hips with his legs tucked right up along my flanks, giving him a good angle to put some real effort into working out the stiffness in my body. I let my eyes droop shut and simply lay there boneless, enjoying his talented hands as I had wanted to for so long. I still wasn't comfortable with touch, but Tyson was so much a part of me now that he could often move under my radar, so to speak, as if he belonged in my personal space – which of course he did. And then there's the times like this, where I am completely focused on him and his touch, and nothing else in the world can penetrate that. I quite literally wallowed in his attention.

I don't know how long I drifted off. Suddenly the warmth of his body heat left me and I protested, rolling over half-way to glare back at him. He chuckled at me, patting my thigh fondly.

"You're adorable when you pout, love. Lie on your back, okay?"

Obligingly, I flipped myself over and tucked my hands behind my head on the pillow. "What are you planning, Tyson? You've got that gleam in your eyes…"

"Who, me?" He blinked innocently at me. Then he drew his shirt off over his head and wiggled out of his sweatpants, flinging both in the direction of the laundry basket. He practically prowled his way up the bed toward me, stormy azure eyes pinning me in place with a predatory glint. Oh. Well that would certainly be interesting. Bring it on, lover.

I reached up and curled my arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to me. Tyson grinned and settled himself against me. It never ceases to amaze me how well we fit together. His lips brushed across mine briefly and fingers threaded through my hair. I sighed and tried to keep the contact, but he pulled just far enough back to make me grunt in frustration. I looked up at him and blinked fuzzily at the soft smile he was giving me. "What?"

"Nothing. I just love you." Tyson shrugged and traced my cheekbone with the back of a finger. "You okay?"

I tilted my head at him curiously. "Fine. Really!" I almost laughed at the disbelieving expression on his face. "Tyson, love, I'm just fine. I just got a little shocked this morning when Hiro walked in. I wasn't expecting it and I got thrown off a bit." I shifted uncomfortably in embarrassment, glowering when Tyson gave me a raised eyebrow. "Stop that. Okay so I was panicking. A little."

"And…?"

With a huff, I looked away. "And he's your brother, Tyson. I know how close you are to him, and I hate that I should be the cause of any bad feelings between you." Damn him for knowing I still wasn't entirely at ease with my place in his life. He wasn't going to let me pretend otherwise, either.

"Kai, what can I possibly say or do that would knock some sense into your head? You know here," his palm flattened over my chest, right where my heart is, "how much I love you, how much I need you. But you can't seem to accept that up here." He kissed my forehead tenderly.

"I…don't know, Tyson. I guess…" I nudged him on the shoulders to get him to move off me. If we were going to have one of those soul-searching type conversations, I wanted to sit up and be able to think clearly – which I wouldn't be able to do with his body pressed against mine in all the right places. I guess he got the message because after giving me a thorough searching look, he rolled off to the side and sat up, leaning against the headboard of the bed. He scrubbed his face with both hands as I sat up to join him, bringing my knees up to my chest and hugging them loosely. "I love you, Tyson. You know that."

He slid his arm around behind me and wrapped it around my waist, pulling me against his side. That I could handle, so I snuggled in comfortably and dropped my head to his shoulder. "Yeah, I do. Is there some reason you can't let yourself accept it?" I frowned to myself, though not because I thought he was angry or something (since I obviously could feel quite clearly he wasn't). He was only trying to talk me through it.

"I…yeah. I think…maybe I'm just not used to getting what I've always wanted." I stared off across the room, mind whirling. "I thought everything was good and that finally things were settling for me. But…"

Tyson captured my hand with his free one, lazily threading our fingers together. "But you're basically waiting for the other shoe to drop?"

Why does that make me want to cry? "Yeah. Pretty much. On my head, most likely." I grumbled, knowing my luck was just that crappy.

Snickering, Tyson turned toward me. "Kai, we've already gone through so much to get here. We love each other, we have the two most awesome kids in the universe…" I had to smile at that. "…and now we're making our own life together. Of course things aren't going to be perfect, and we're bound to run into roadblocks along the way…"

Feeling rather ridiculous about it all, I snorted and rolled over, burrowing into him in self-disgust. "I'm being an idiot. Why you don't just slap me when this happens, I'll never know. It'd be much easier and quicker." I mumbled against his skin.

"You're not being an idiot. Of all the people in this world, I think you have all _kinds_ of reasons to be a little wary of happiness after all the things that have happened to you in life." Tyson slid down and pulled me down with him. We lay on our sides, facing each other, just watching each other and lightly caressing whatever parts of each other we could reach. "So I'll ask again: you okay?"

I smiled, actually feeling pretty damn good now. He always does know how to clear the air when I seem to have the need to brood and mope about something. "Yep. Perfect."

"That's better." He grinned that ridiculously sappy grin of his and leaned into me, his mouth covering mine enthusiastically.

* * *

**Between The Lines**

Looking back over the years, I sometimes wonder if all those infinite possibilities, those 'what ifs' and 'maybes,' were even really possible. I don't think about fate or destiny or stuff like that. I believe in my own choices, my own options and the consequences I face for them. There were so many times where I fought temptation in all the forms that could be used against me in some way, and I think – in the end – I've overcome them and become someone truly worthy of one Kinomiya Tyson. 'The path of true love…' and all that. I learn new lessons every day, and I keep following Tyson wherever each lesson should lead.

The only regret I have is that I didn't see what was really there the whole time. Tyson tells me that _now_ I'm being stupid, because obviously everything we went through was something that needed to happen in order to get us to that point where we could look at each other and finally just…be. But, deep down, I still think that if I could have been a little more observant I would have seen the deep, abiding love between us, that shining golden chord that tied us together in endless, infinite knots. I'm getting better at it, though. Sometimes, I actually understand what he says before he says it – and it has nothing whatsoever to do with that metaphysical bond we share. It's like learning a new language, in many ways. Learning to read between the lines of the things Tyson says, the things Tyson does, and learning to accept that he loves me – and that I deserve it. All I can ever do is love him back…

Because the ultimate skill Tyson has in dealing with me is that he has _always_ been able to read between _my_ lines. And still love me soul-deep, unconditionally.

* * *

**Kali Notes:** And thus ends the epic. Or should I say…so the real story begins. Thank you everyone for reading, and for all the wonderful comments along the way. I hope anyone who reads this can see and understand what I've seen in the relationship between Tyson and Kai, and I hope none of us ever forget the wonder and joy these two characters have brought to us fans.

**Please** **R/R!**

**Special thanks to TechnoRanma, for all her insight and encouragement. I love you!**

**_FIN ENDE OWARI_**

**_Yami FireKali_**


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